Friday, July 30, 2010

The Newer CPR: no more lip locks?

Two years ago, the American Heart Association gave the OK for people to stop using "rescue breathing" as a part of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). This came from a relatively recently study, relative to the 50 years that CPR has been taught, that showed that increasing the chest compressions did more good than the breathing. The compressions, after all, does allow for some breathing to happen automatically due to the mechanical operation of the chest cavity.

What they found was more important, was that the blood get to the brain immediately and for along and as much as possible prior to paramedics getting on the scene. This lead to the current situation which seems to be paying off pretty well. According to the article, 1 in 3 people get prompt CPR attention.

Another issue, not usually preferred to even discuss, is the mouth on mouth method of giving the "breath of life". Many people are quite reticent to do this to a stranger, or even a loved one in many cases depending on the situation.

I've spoken to paramedics myself over the years about this issue and I've gotten a variety of responses. A few have said, they would never put their mouth on patient unless it was absolutely necessary, that they have a device to allow for that, they put it in the patient's mouth, then they breath into them through that.

That may sound against the unspoken rules of being a paramedic, or even of being a "good Samaritan", but consider this: several paramedics had told me they had patients actually vomit into their own mouth while they were attempting to give CPR. One said, it only takes that to happen once, with a stranger, or anyone, to make you shy to give mouth to mouth again.

I asked a fireman/paramedic friend once, about this. Understand, this was a guy who was once a "special operator" in the military going behind enemy lines. He and a partner would parachute in, using Low Opening techniques, literally popping their chute just above the tops of trees, then taking out indicated enemy targets, literally by hand, or more typically, by knife. This was a guy, scared of nothing, a devoted paramedic now; he had said that he sees so many accident victims, so many patients over time, that he (all paramedics) really needs to be careful about doing things like direct mouth to mouth contact. He said he'd do it in a heartbeat if he had to, but not if he had his device available, and he always had it available. He said that device also gives him a moments warning if the patient does start to expel more than air.

I was originally taught to give three breaths into the person, then fifteen chest compressions, then cycle around again until help arrives. Now they are saying that it is more important to give 30 chest compressions before mouth to mouth, or reycle and give 30 more compressions. This, being more important in situation where heart ailments may be at issue, unlike children or non-cardiac type breath cessation has occurred.

From the NPR article:
"Dr. Thomas Rea, medical director of Seattle-King County's Emergency Medical Services, who led one of the studies, says their real importance is the endorsement the studies give to the new-style CPR. "We saw that bystanders were more likely to get CPR started when the instructions were just chest compressions as opposed to chest compressions plus rescue breathing," Rea reports. Many people are uncomfortable with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, so they don't attempt CPR at all. And when they do, they interrupt chest compressions too long to do rescue breathing. Scientists now think that chest compressions are more crucial, because immediately after the heart stops, the blood contains residual oxygen for a few minutes. Circulating this blood — until the EMTs arrive and can begin more effective oxygen supplementation — is probably more important."

See the full NPR article:
During CPR, Locking Lips May Not Be Necessary - NPR

Hey, everybody! Have a great weekend!

Recent tweets....

I always knew building a laptop into my surfboard would someday pay off....

This isn't a sling. Its a tasteful but seldom seen appendage. So stop staring.

There's still time to prepare.... this year
BurningMan starts on my birthday! :)

Then I said, I'll trade you this cinnabon for that knife. Never ignore the power of a cinnabon...

Ever been sky diving and you hear a ripping sound from above rather than a popping sound? That's reason to get drunk. And hey, no hangover!

I was SCUBA diving along once, turned around at 40' and almost had a heart attack: Sea Cucumber attack! True Story

When caught in a basement, with a gun leveled at you, and questioned: "Who are you?" Always answer: "I don't KNOW!"

Neosporin or Benadryl do NOT work well on Tiger bites.

So, these two drunks walk into a library....

I had a higher education once, but didn't keep up my payments and now its all worn off....

I swear if I don't find a door to escape this reality, I'm taking hostages. No, wait, taking yourself hostage kind of defeats the purpose.

Please do not call if you need anything. Also, we do not accept calls from landmines.

Ghost vs Vampire? Who'd win in THAT fight? Look, only the living fear Ghosts. Vampires are already dead. So, its a null battle.

Should you tell the supermodel you're guiding through the wilds, that the viper strike at your "John Thomas", actually hit your wallet?

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Cheerleading a sport?

Some of you might be saying, oh no, not again....

And granted, I've not really got much to say at this time on this topic, but here is a piece from NPR radio by Frank Deford on his "Sweetness and Light" column.

His thoughts? Well, they go something like this:

"It was a complicated case that forced this decision, wherein one more college — Quinnipiac, this time — was trying to get around Title IX stipulations. The more women who go to college, forming a greater majority of students, the more women's sports we must have, and that is hard for a lot of male athletic officials to deal with. All the more reason, it seems to me, to certify cheerleading.

"But here is one hard and fast rule I would make: Any college that is put on any athletic probation — like the University of Southern California — for violating NCAA rules should not be allowed to have cheerleaders at any of its games. No cheerleaders for cheaters."

Its nice to hear more people talking about this.

For more, see the full article: Cheerleading A Sport? You'll Know It When You See It

"Nik Knows" (Humor) - Episode 2 - The Dinner

Dinner. A pretty normal daily event.

Right.

So, one day, my son's mother and I, many a year ago now, had a couple of friends over (or family, I really cannot now remember). We were gathered at our house for dinner.

We all sat around the table with our son, Nikolas, Nik, sitting at the head of the table in his booster chair. I was at the other end of the table from him, his mom next to me on my right, one each of the others along either side of the table.

Everyone was having a grand time. Nik was happy, eating merrily along. At one point, I got up to get something from the kitchen and then I sat back down. Nik started trying to tell us something apparently immeasurably important and we were all taking turns trying to help him communicate whatever it was; but he only got more and more frustrated. He was like that back then.

We would run into people who didn't know him well, and actually wondered if he were in some way, developmentally disabled. He was such a big kid (he's like 6'5" or 6" now, tall, well built, a bit lanky but not what you'd call skinny); and they thought he should be talking already, but at that time, he was actually too young to talk, but he looked older.

In the delivery room on the day that he was born, as I've mentioned before, the nurse was calling him, Bruno, because she said, he was such a big bruiser at 8lbs 13 ounces (same weight I was, when my father called his mom telling her in his excitement that I was 13 pounds, 8 ounces and she almost had a heart attack, or almost fainted, anyway, feeling great pity on that day, for my poor mother.

Nik was fine though, and just didn't talk (real words we could understand, anyway) till later on. The doctor had said at the time, not to worry about it; some kids just don't start to talk a word at a time, learning and building on a vocabulary. Some will wait and suddenly start talking in full sentences. Which is exactly what happened. The Doctor had said people get too wrapped up in how kids should develop, and they all go at their own pace. He was just, unique; exceptional.

But before that, he would talk in full sentences of gibberish, with great passion, getting more and more frustrated that he wasn't making sense. At least, that we weren't getting it. I don't know, maybe he thought we were stupid. I felt so badly for him, but it just took him time to work out the brain/muscle connectivity.

He used to get so frustrated because, 1) he couldn't get the words out, 2) his brain always worked faster than his mouth so that when he finally did talk, the words would stumble out, where obviously brain was faster than the mouth muscles and I'd have to tell him to just slow down; and, 3) no matter how hard he tried, we couldn't simply understand him.

He would rattle off sentences, that meant a hell of a lot to him, but nothing made sense to us. Until one day, it all just did make sense to us.

And, he's still talking incessantly....

But now, he makes too much sense.

Although he didn't talk till late for kids his age, he was up and cruising around, and then walking way too soon. In the end, it turned out he had ADHD, but was really was quite smart. Too smart, for his own good, and ours, sometimes.

Anyway, on that particular day, at dinner, he was getting pretty annoyed. Either with us for not comprehending, or with his body for not following his orders. He was semi chewing some food and trying to carry on a conversation, losing concentration on the chewing, paying more and more attention to the talking.

Finally, I just got fed up with it, and seeing him being frustrated; and so to break the tension, I said:

"Nik! JUST...spit it out!"

He stopped, everyone stopped. The universe stopped.

I could then see the wheels in his brain churning away. I thought, Now what? Then, something went, "click". I could almost hear it. I swear. And suddenly, he just spit out the entire contents of his mouth, it shot out across the table, taking on a kind of shotgun pattern.

Once he saw what he had done, as well as the reaction of everyone at the table, and how everyone else was stunned too, he just looked around and waited for what would come next.

Then, I could see it in his face, that he wasn't being bad, or clever, he was just following my orders. For myself, I had obviously meant for him to just finally "spit out the words", to get out what it was that he was having so much trouble getting out. But, just as obvious for him, as we all realized almost immediately, was for him to just spit out the entire contents of his mouth.

Everyone looked at one another, then at him; he looked at us, we looked at each other; then we all looked back at him and I think the look on his face, cracked the shock and we all just broke out in laughter.

Still, he just sat there for a second, not sure what to make of it all. Then he too broke out into great loud bouts of laughter and we had the entire table of adults and child, laughing hysterically, gasping for air and tears streaming down some faces. Until, eventually it subsided and I could see it in his eyes, what he was thinking, "they thought I was funny, I could do it again!"

But we made it abundantly clear that although, yes, that was so very funny; uh, no, you're not doing that again on pain of being made to feel like you'd not want to have done that again. If you do it again.

He quickly got the point.

And it never happened a second time.

This was also my wake up call to just how literal he took things. Something that would come back to haunt us both from then on. It was also something I wouldn't fully understand until he was almost out of his teens. Maybe I am stupid.

We never did find out what he had been trying to tell us.

But from then on, I certainly picked my words more carefully.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

1434 - China visits Italy..."say what?" Yes.

Things have been pretty heavy lately. Many of my blogs have been serious, and about very important topics. But let's take a break and explore something fascinating and rewarding to look into. I've known about this since I studied Chinese history during my University years. Now, there are a couple of very interesting books on the topic. This isn't make believe. This actually happened. A Chinese Emperor actually did send a fleet out to travel the world. I just never knew to what extent this adventurer actually traveled.

Check out the web site:
http://www.gavinmenzies.net/index.asp

Still think that Columbus Discovered America? Or, are you "enlightened" and know about legendary Welsh explorer, Prince Madoc and his alleged arrival in North America in 1170? Think they were the first? Or do you also know about the Vikings and their alleged arrival about 1000 AD?

Well, check this one out. Maybe not as early as the Prince Madoc or the Vikings, but a daring Chinese Admiral sailed the world's largest wooden armada to at least have beat Columbus to America by 71 years in 1421.

Later that next decade, China provided the spark that set the Renaissance ablaze. Based on years of research, this marvelous history argues that a Chinese fleet, official ambassadors of the emperor, when they arrived in Tuscany in 1434, where they met with Pope Eugenius IV in Florence. The delegation presented the pope with a wealth of knowledge, from a diverse range of fields: geography (including world maps that the author believes were passed on to Christopher Columbus), astronomy, mathematics, art, printing, architecture, steel manufacturing, civil engineering, military weaponry, surveying, cartography, genetics, and more. This gift of knowledge sparked the inventiveness of the Renaissance, including da Vinci’s mechanical creations, the Copernican revolution, Galileo’s discoveries, and more.

If Twitter were around during the Third Reich

Recently unearthed Twitter using a before unknown Reichland technology between Heinrich Himmler, Hitler's Reichsführer of the SS and Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, President of the Reichstag, Prime Minister of Prussia, Plenipotentiary for the Implementation of the Four Year (economic) Plan, and designated successor to the speed freak himself, Adolf Hitler:

Himmler: Hey, "Fatso Göring"

Göring: Stop that, Der Henker! Damn those Allied soldiers....

Himmler: Fine, fine, but don't call me the hangman either, "gold pheasant". You guys there now?

Göring: Ja, we're here, you blond beast. For a while now, actually.

Himmler: WHY? Why does he want to visit an insane asylum?

Göring: Who knows? Maybe he feels at home here? But anyway, he's Hitler! But, hey, something funny happened.

Himmler: Do tell.

Göring: we were walking along, all the patients were "sieg heiling" him. One of them didn't.

Himmler: OOooo, I bet that got his panties in a bunch.

Göring: Ja! So, he asked the man, "Why do you not salute!" The man said, "But sir, I am the nurse. I am not crazy."

Himmler: LMFAO. OMG tinsel-heini, OMG LOLOLOL sooo funny....

Göring: Ja! Funny. Ja?

Himmler: All right, I have one. I heard you and Adolf were standing on top of Berlin’s radio tower.

Göring: Ja! We were there yesterday.

Himmler: Ja! Its new, it is going around all over here today.

Göring: So what, what?

Himmler: So, Hitler says he wants to do something to cheer up the people of Berlin.

Göring: Ja? And then what.

Himmler: Then you say: “Why don’t you just jump?”

Göring: OMG! Soooo funny. LOL And then, he JUMPS? Right?

Himmler: No, then he orders me to shoot you and YOU jump.

Göring: That's not funny....
====

So, too soon? Consider this:
“If you laugh about Hitler, you rob him of the metaphysical, demonic capabilities that the post-war apologists attributed to him.”
-- Author, German film director and screenwriter, Rudolph Herzog
Now...think about Vladimir Putin. He won't turn out well. He just, won't..

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

DirecTV HD Tivo

I have a Sceptre 42" LCD TV. Love it. Yes, I've seen better, but its what I have and it looks great. I also have DirecTV. With that, I have their HD Tivo DVR. Love that too. Unless I have to use the menu system.

I have worked in the computer industry in one capacity or another for decades. I have programmed, administered, monitored, supervised, you name it. I know what it takes to build, program, produce, maintain, fix and suggest changes to.

I can't tell you have annoyed I am with this system. Now before this DirecTV Tivo I had their non HD version. Its now in my bedroom. Its nice because when I can't catch a show on the TV in the media room, I can catch it on the bedroom Tivo. Just before I got the HD TV and associated equipment, I had a programming update which gave me some cool and faster features. I could even undelete things. But then I got the HD version. God, it was painfully slow.

What's slow about it? when you are in the menu system just paging up or down a screen, is too slow. It has an applications screen with fun apps available, like weather, foreign language word of the day, biorhythems, etc., but good God its even slower.

Why?

Tivo says me so much time between allowing me to watch what I want when I want, need to, or can. It helps me to compress the time spent by fast forwarding through fluff, pausing to answer the phone, or talk about an issue we just saw on a show or movie, and downloading what I want many times when I want.

What does waste my time, is sadly, the menu system. The argument I've been given was you have to down load from the satellite, data in order to be updated when you view something. Right. Whatever.

Midnight Meat Train DVD and What's up with Clive Barker's Voice?

Hello, Horror Lovers. Welcome, fans of Clive Barker.

I've been a fan of Clive Barker since his first Book of Blood came out in 1984. The year I read that book, I wrote to both Stephen King and Clive Barker. Never heard from King. Barker, however, personally answered my letters. I spoke to him on several occasions at book signings at Tower Books in Seattle. We talked at length several times and once I was able to have him shake hands with my son, who was at the time, about 2 and in his stroller.

When I told him in person, that I had written, he rather animatedly said, "And I wrote you back too didn't I?" And I said, "Yes you did and it was appreciated." To which he replied, "See, I try to answer all my mail. But its been getting harder to keep up anymore." And I said, I understood. I still have his response letters. Once he moved to Los Angeles, I'm sad to say, I completely lost track of him; and at which point, he became very famous. I was all too happy that he was getting the acclaim I had long known, that he well deserved. I have all his Books of Blood, and signed by him, as well as some of his other, later books like Weaveworld (one of my favorites), Imagica, etc.

One of them he took his time and drew some art in. I was first in line when he arrived at Tower Books. I had been waiting for a while and there was a long line behind me, of mostly Stephen King fans. I chatted with them before he got there. When he arrived, he was asked, "Would you like some tea or coffee?" To which he replied, "Coffee would be nice." Then he was asked how he would like it and he said, "White." This confused the person pretty badly, but another handler said, "That's OK, I know what he means, I'll get it." What he meant, obviously, was with cream.

Once he sat down he said hi and we talked for like fifteen minutes. I tried to beg off not wanting to be a "star hog" but he said don't worry about it. I explained that he was about to meet a long line of King fans, which he laughed about. He said he was always happy to pick up new readers. I bantered with him about what I thought of King, giving the appropriate respect, but also the honest and accurate opinion, also explaining why I so much more appreciated Clive's prose and stories. I found him to be one of the nicest guys and funny.

Lately, I've been watching some online videos of him and I noticed a few things. Like he had been into working out since I last saw him. And, that his voice was sounding too strained. I just watched my new DVD of Midnight Meat Train, from one of his first short stories in the Books of Blood. The video of him in the extras, again had his voice sounding very strained and it concerned me this time to the point I looked it up on line. Below is what I found.

In listening to the second audio track of the Midnight Meat Train DVD, with Clive and Director, Ryûhei Kitamura ("Sky High" and "Aragami"), his voice sounds very much better. I would like to say, this is one of the best Clive movies ever made. Both he and Kitamura laughed at the movies made from Clive stories and how many of them are horrible and Clive has pretty much had it and fully agrees about that. I could never understand why, such a great horror writer and just writer in general and a great artist, could have such bad movies keep coming out. But he had little to do with most of those.

Clive admits to several things on this DVD. There is a short about his paintings, very worth checking out. How he is, Irish, Italian and Gay. Brooke Shields, did a great job in this film as did, Bradley Cooper and every one really. Vinnie Jones, was excellent, love his many films. Roger Bart of Desperate Housewives fame, was also excellent. Peter Jacobson, from House, M.D., as the cafe cook, was a pleasant surprise, too.

Love that they mention Tom Savini, as well as some of the homage shots from, The Exorcist. Clive also mentions that he loves Andrei Tarkovsky (as do I), the famous Russian (Soviet?) director of such films as 1972s, Solaris (a far better book than anyone has been able to capture on film; do check out other novels also by, Stanislaw Lem, the brilliant Polish Science Fiction and speculative fiction writer). He said some of it was also an homage to David Cronenberg, another favored director of mine since Scanners (1981) Videodrome (1983) and more recently, eXistenZ (1999), A History of Violence (2005) and Eastern Promises (2007).

They said the DVD has much more blood and guts than the MPAA released theatrical version. Some very fresh shots in this movie. Like the eyeball gag, reminds me of a scene in a short story and script of mine, "Sarah", where a pigeon, is the catalyst of the next shot, to dramatic results.

Overall, if you like horror and especially, Clive, check this movie out.

Anyway, in the thought that someone else may too be wondering about Clive's voice, here is a reprint of admittedly old, but happy information. I've been wondering what's up with his voice and I'm happy to hear its been now taken care of.

"Great News About Clive Barker's Voice and Health Condition!"
from by Roger - Thursday, 27 March 2008

From the Fifth Dominion web site.

"For a couple years now many Clive Barker fans have had great concern over Clive's raspy voice and shortness of breath... basically a radical change in voice from what it was previously.

"This was speculated to be everything from too many cigars, a mysterious health problem, and Cenobite attacks. Always worried but hoping for the best the fans can now relax.

"Clive spoke to Revelations on March 26, 2008 and asked them to make this public announcement:

"Over the past couple of years at signings, people have often come up to me saying, 'Your voice doesn't sound too good, are you OK?' So, to all those people who have shown me kindness and concern, I would like to say 'Thank You'. There was an issue - I have had polyps on my throat which has constricted my breathing and affected my voice - and this has just recently been addressed, with great success."

"I am feeling far healthier and more energetic! I may be a little less talkative for a short while, but it's all good news and I want to make a point of thanking all of you who have shown concern - it has been much appreciated..." - Clive Barker"

[Thanks to Doug for bringing this to our attention, Revelations, and especially to Clive for sharing such personal news with his fans.]

http://www.clivebarker.info/newsmarch08.html

Keep on hanging in there Clive....

Monday, July 26, 2010

Does Varsity Brands Own the NCSF Cheer Association?

Friday, June 18, 2010 I posted a blog, Cheerleaders Rock!
At the end, Tiffani said...
"The National Cheer Safety Foundation is not funded by, nor affiliated with, Varsity Brands Incorporated." - July 8, 2010 11:21 AM

Well, Penn and Teller on their show, Bullshit! disagree. But I wanted to know what was true. I was hard pressed to find out. Next time that episode of Bullshit! comes on, I'll save it, review it, and try to track down what they had to say. Sadly, I cannot find a copy of that episode and had already deleted it from my Tivo. [7/27/2010 - author retraction, the NCSF is not indicated as being funded by Varsity in this episode of Bullsh*t! Thanks to Tiffany for that clarification with offering me a link to that episode. YOU Rock, Tiffany! :) ].

My desire on my blog, is to entertain, inform, spark people's attention, and obviously, drive more readers to my posts. But I have no desire in spreading misinformation. So, as soon as I find out different, once I have hard data, I'll share it here with you.

I would assume, the Penn and Teller researchers on their show found something indicating a link, otherwise they would be getting sued by NCSF and more likely, Varsity Brands Inc. There is a legal standard that if you don't protect your brand, you can lose it; and you have no right to say something about someone, if you can't prove it. Penn and Teller have a slew of Attorneys to keep them from getting sued. So I would initially have to assume they have indeed found a link between these two previously thought to be autonomous entities.

Once I find out they were wrong, you'll know it.

What I was able to track down, was the following:

Jim Lord. Executive Director of AACCA, which is owned by Varsity
Mike Pare (Assistant coach for UCF, owns Spirit Athletics, and a UofK cheer alumni) and Cheer Athletics (which is owned by Varsity)
http://boards.varsity.com/index.php?topic=1115.0

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators AACCA is owned by varsity.
Spirit Athletics is owned by Mike Pare.
Cheer Athletics is owned by varsity.

AACCA is also a member of the Organization of Spirit Industry Providers (OSIP), the membership-based organization for educational organizations, suppliers, publications, competition organizers, safety organizations and gym owner groups for the spirit industry.
http://www.aacca.org/content.aspx?item=About/Purpose.xml

Rota, Spain - 1959

Have you ever wondered, what therapists are for. Why people seem to think, they need therapy? Why, is there a never ending need for these people?

1959. I was living in Spain. Rota, Spain to be precise. Mere miles from Cadiz, seventy miles from Seville, not quite a hundred miles from Gibraltar.

On the Atlantic coast side.

Rota was a sleepy little village back then, which has now turned into a real town. I've never known what we were doing there. Until writing this article.

My Mother's Father, Frank, had traveled the world extensively for the military, as a civilian diesel engineer. He would go to the middle of literally nowhere, build a building, or take one over, build a diesel injection and cleaning station, by the tools by hand, train the local indigenous men, then move on to another location. I have old 8mm film he took in Vietnam, India, Thailand, back in the 40s and 50s. Pretty cool.

Grandpa got my dad a job there. So he flew out. Later, my mom brought my older sister and I. Problem was, my dad was a construction electrician. Whatever Grandpa got him hired for, my dad wasn't one of those. Grandpa would go get a job, even if he didn't know what it was, but he always came out on top.

One time, the military asked him if he could train some guys for something he was clueless about. He said, sure. So he got the job. He also got some books. He read them the night before, then while he was teaching the students, he was himself, learning all about whatever it was. I think he was some kind of genius. He fixed cars for the Mob, in New York. Worked on some of the first race cars. I have photos. He came to America when he was eight, with his family. A true self made man.

My Grandmother was like that, taught herself to increase her vocabulary by reading the dictionary. Hung out with educated types. Always told me to hang with Doctors, lawyers, educated people. She was good friends with our family Doctor. Maybe Grandpa thought she wasn't too smart and she reacted to that. Because, I think he left her, then he remarried, but she never did. Never told me the story of what happened either.

Anyway, we lived in a villa on the coast of Spain; there was one for us, and one for my Grandfather, up the street. It was just up the street from the beach. At night, Franco's Spain had Le Guardia Civil riding through with long guns. Out after dark on the beach, you got shot. Or so I was told. But my mom told me repeatedly, as she feared I would go out there and get shot. I remember her telling me, yes, they would even shoot a child as young as you.

According to Wikipedia, NAVSTA Rota has been in use since 1953 when Spanish dictator Francisco Franco strengthened relations with the Americans to improve local economies. The installation now covers more than 6,000 acres (24 km squared) on the northern shore of Cadiz, an area recognized for its strategic, maritime importance over the centuries.

Naval Station Rota (NavSta Rota) is a Spanish naval base commanded by a Spanish Vice Admiral. Located in Rota, Spain, NavSta Rota is the largest American military community in Spain now and houses US Navy Sailors, Marines, and their families. There are also small US Army and US Air Force contingents on the base.

Described by the US Navy as the "Gateway to the Mediterranean", Naval Station Rota is home to an airfield and a seaport; the airfield has often caused the base to be misidentified as "Naval Air Station Rota". The base is the headquarters for Commander, U.S. Naval Activities Spain (COMNAVACTSPAIN), as well as a primary gateway for Air Mobility Command flights into Europe.

So, that's what we were doing there. There was a Naval base nearby. I remember seeing strange military like things. We still have old 8mm film showing strange structures in the shallow waters, just off the beaches; strange, giant, white concrete forms that looked like immense jacks 15-20 height, as in "playing jacks".

Apparently, after we arrived in Spain, to join my mom's dad, and my dad, things didn't go so well. And yes, I have pictures. Pictures of the villa. I have videos too, of me, the fam, traveling around, in the car, on the beach, in the cantina, where I was shining shoes for a short time. But the pictures.

Shots of my grandfather's villa, the front low gate, ripped from the concrete fence as my dad went after my mom. Something about killing her. He must have been pissed off about something. Her matador lessons? From a matador who obviously liked her? But no, that was after grandpa expelled him from Spain.

Or, maybe it was my mom's artistic pursuits.

I saw her showing something to my older brother one day, but she closed the door. So when no one was around later, I searched her dresser for the yellow manila sized envelope. I pulled out whatever was that was in it: a black and white photo of a naked woman. It was on a beach, day time, the woman was stretching up and back, arms akimbo and above and behind her head doing something to lots of hair, a guitar placed appropriately upright with the head at the center of her body. Artistically black and white. I remember it because I was going through her dresser, and found it. I thought, with my 6th grade mind, hum-ma hum-ma, this is hot! I stared at it and wondered, "I wonder, who could that be?"

Then, it hit me. The nearly black hair was the right color. The build was about right for mom when she was younger, about the age she would have been when we lived in Spain. You know, its amazing the speed you can replace an item in a flexible envelope when you want to. Its also amazing how hard it is, to wipe a visual from your mind's eye, no matter how hard you try. In fact, the harder you try, the more it becomes emblazoned into your memory.

Its thing like that, that keep Therapists employed.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Gays in Uganda - Gee, thanks American Christians

Unbelievable. You have to wonder, about these Christian "Leaders" who went to Uganda: "What in the hell, was the game plan guys?"

What I'm about to tell you, is difficult to write, harder to read, and for some, infuriating. If you are Christian and agree with what is going on in Uganda, supported by Christian leaders who went there and allowed things to get completely out of control, I have no regrets on bringing this to your attention.

I was watching a Vanguard documentary the other day. It was called the "Missionaries of Hate". It was about some American Christian leaders going to Uganda and preaching their "Word". I really wish some of these people would just stay home.

The history of Missionaries around the world notwithstanding. Not to consider the damage they have done in wiping out entire societies. I've always had respect for the Japanese in telling them in the 16th century to leave so they could get their head on straight again. The Chinese did something similar, but neither was able to permanently remove the issue.

These missionaries, not being sociologists, spread their gospel words. Then they left. What these people were left with, was an abiding passion to never ever put up with homosexuals in their country. They refused to allow an "American export" to send their country to Hell. To contaminate them. Defile their children.

So they worked to pass a law that said homosexuals would be put to death. Yeah this is all after the year 2000, like last year. Like I said, unbelievable.

Right? Well, here it comes.

How did these religious leaders and government officials rile up enough people to pass a law on this? They began to profess to congregations and constituents that homosexual men prepare for sex by first smearing or drinking one another's feces as a preparatory ritual. That they drink this from one another from its location of issue. That they then punish one another by "fisting" their arms up to the elbows in such a painful act that it requires them to take drugs to kill the pain, because they like it so much.

Yes, there are coprophiles (alternative spelling of coprophil; a feces-loving organism). There are all kinds of fetishes in the world. Has nothing to do with America or Western culture or homosexuals. There are also people who partake of "fisting" behavior; but these are both men and women, homo and hetero sexuals.

They brought forth a young woman to profess that she was bribed to become a lesbian, and lived as such for a year or so, who was given an ipod, a laptop, and money, to become lesbian and lead a lesbian lifestyle.

They go on to ask their congregations, "Do you want these homosexuals to eat the poopoo of your children?" These people, truly, are out of control. The trouble is, the general populace believe what they are told by their trusted leaders.

These same leaders go on to shout down Secretary of State Clinton and President Barack Obama because they have stated openly that homosexuals need to be treated like human beings and with rights and dignity. And because of that, America is a corrupt and degenerate society.

This is all so unbelievable, if it weren't so sad and terrifying it would be laughable. But its not funny. Because, people are now fearing for their lives. People are being killed.

So thanks, all you Christian leaders who went to Uganda to save people. Because, I think you've just gotten people killed instead.

Now, with all that said, there is some good news. From the Wikipedia article:

"On 8 January 2010, David Bahati, the bill's sponsor again asserted he would not postpone or shelve the bill, even after Minister of State for Investment Aston Kajara stated the Ugandan government would ask Bahati to withdraw it, and President Museveni asserted he thought it was too harsh.

"Bahati stated, "I will not withdraw it. We have our children in schools to protect against being recruited into (homosexuality). The process of legislating a law to protect our children against homosexuality and defending our family values must go on." The bill is scheduled to be discussed in Uganda's parliament in late February or March 2010.

"On 12 January 2010, President Museveni expressed to the media that there is need to exercise "extreme caution", and his cabinet members will speak to Bahati to reach a compromise to satisfy Bahati's concerns weighed with the calls he is receiving from throughout the world."

If it were not for the International community and organizations, there is no telling where this would have ended up. But perhaps this is showing a kind of progress. If African nations are to stop the intermittent genocide they have continued to experience over the decades (as has Eastern Europe and parts of Asia it should be noted) and go down to simply abusing Human rights issues such as Gay rights, perhaps that is a kind of overall societal progress and soon they too will come to the realization that Human rights are Rights that are for all Humans.

For more on this, see the Wikipedia article and Vanguard.

Californication with David Duchovny

Californication.

I love that show.

I am but a splinter of David Duchovny's lead character, Hank .

Except for a few minor things.

Like....

Now, I'm not a successful writer (yet) or written a successful and acclaimed literary work (yet), nor had one transliterated and devastated into a major romantic comedic motion picture (yet). Though I do have some interesting screenplays (yeah yeah, who doesn't, right?). My short stories are interesting, anyway. I do have one short story coming out in a multi author anthology August 2010 and I am talking to a publisher about a book of my short stories. And I do have a few unfinished novels I'm still working on....still....

Its doubtful though, that I have balls of the appropriate size or density as does Hank, to be able to say whatever I think to whomever I want to say it to. Under any circumstances. At any location. He says and does many of the things I would love to get away with. But, I'm not Hank, nor Tommy Bolin, or Jim Morrison; all types that people took care of them because they were brilliant and lovable.

My problem is, I do tend to view the consequences. I think therefore, I am NOT. I do try to avoid repercussions that would befall my friends and family.
And my face.
And my teeth.

I also don't own a cool, beat up old Porche.

Nor do I change F*ck-buddies (phuquebuds?) like socks.

Although, the women I've experienced intimately aren't any less attractive than the ones Hank meets, they just don't steal my guitar, or my vinyl, or punch me in the face during sex.

But maybe I'm missing something?

Anyway, my point here is, quite the same as our Beloved World's Nurse, that its too early to be writing this kind of crap.

On the other hand, this show has given me hope. And we all need hope. Especially, writers.

It has inspired me to want to write again. I am after all, writing this.

It has also inspired me in through my Daily Life Rut. My DLR. You know what a DLR is, don't you? I assumed we all had one. They say after all, everyone has their own "cross to bear".

There are ways to change things up, shake things down. I like that image, of me, shaking down that Master of Life, or MR. Life; or is it MR. Death?

I always get them confused.

But, maybe there is hope for me after all? But maybe not.

I also haven't had sex with a minor that looks like a major, such as Hank did. Who was also his ex wife's, fiancee's daughter. No, haven't done that one. Well, not in a while anyway. OK, not in this millennium. But then, I hadn't known that she was a minor. God knows, she looked like a major. Then again, neither had Hank. Know, that is.

I also didn't get my second, amazing novel stolen and published by said minor. The one with the major league body that doesn't look like a minor (remember?).

So maybe we're not so different after all. Hank and I. Still, my life just isn't as f*cked up as his is. Or is it?

I have tried hard to simplify my life, for like, well, for all my life. But it seems those around me, really aren't helping with that simplification all that much. Not by a long shot. But I'll keep pluggin' away at it. And watching Hank.

Just in case he does happen to find that one answer for how to make things better. Or more interesting. But maybe more interesting isn't the answer. After all, his life is WAY too interesting. I think I enjoy watching it from a distance now. Because, my life was way to interesting too. Perhaps not as glamorous as Hanks, though.

"May you live in interesting times" is, after all, a notorious Ancient Chinese Curse.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Most dangerous place on Earth? Somalia's Al Shabab

Somalia may very well be where the cockroaches that are the Taliban (and Al Qaeda?) will scamper to. What happens when you move something and the cockroaches are exposed? They scurry under something else, temporarily safer. Afghanistan and Iraq and hot spots, so is Somalia the next safe place for them? Remember Somalia? Somalia Pirates? Remember, "Blackhawk Down"?

The popular film, Blackhawk Down, was about Somalia. The film ends with text informing the viewer that: "1000 Somalis died and 19 Americans lost their lives in the conflict (the 19 soldiers and officers who died are then listed by name and rank). Mike Durant was released after 11 days of captivity. On August 2, 1996, warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid was killed in Mogadishu. General Garrison retired the following day."

Is Somalia's Al Shabab, an Al Qaeda spinoff, to be our next threat and target? Here is a country having so many problems, where these terrorist entities move in to try to take over another State. In a country of more gentle Islamic rule, they now have roving groups of these disaffected individuals and bands, traveling around the flat desert lands of Somalia, cutting of hands of suspected thieves, banning bras (really, banning bras?), banning music, stoning people, killing people for watching soccer games (sounds a little insane doesn't it?). All this in a country that hasn't had this form of harsh Islamic rule before. Why would they embrace this now?

This is not a popular movement. They are widely unpopular, trying to force a harsh form of Islam. What is it about groups like this who want to go around imposing harsher lives than already exist? It says something for the religions that have evolved out of environments such as this.

Some say we should prop up the current government in Somalia. Some say we should find pockets of stability and support them with money and resources. I would agree with that latter form of support. A little can go a long way. Some say as this is a flat desert nation, where the borders with other countries are in dispute, with Ethiopia to the West, with Djibouti to the North, Kenya to the Southwest. So that these Al Shabab's are looking not at a nationalistic effort, but a regional one. And with the outside influences from larger terrorists factions, its a global springboard, which the are always looking at.

What to do about this right now, as far as you are concerned, is not so much about doing, as it is, in being aware, paying attention, and then speaking up at the right time.

Did Humpty Dumpty Jump?

Last night, I was researching Friedrich Nietzsche. In one of his books, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", "Umbermensch" was proposed as a goal for Humanity, something to set ourselves up to act for; to strive to be a person "above", someone "beyond", what we are now. Or more generally, whatever Humankind was at one time, it should always try to "rise above" Being. To evolve to a higher form.

Needless to say, some people, after having read this, apparently took the concept too far. During this Philosophical research, I was concurrently and perhaps mistakenly, watching an HBO Ricky Gervais special on Tivo. Ricky is famous for being in, directing and writing, the TV show, The Office; the Original, British TV show. And he was excellent in that role.

As far as the American version (with the hilarious Steve Carell) is concerned, well, as is true with most remakes of overseas shows (especially, Japanese shows in specific particularity); considering how so typically the remakes fail to capture the original flavor and charm of the originating show; well, OK, Steve Carell has done a good job, and actually so has that entire production.

Anyway, Ricky was talking about childrens' fairy tales and at one point, about Humpty Dumpty and how that would actually pan out, were you to bridge the gap from fantasy to Reality (whatever that would be).

For instance, why would you send ALL the King's horses to perform a medical procedure and what a really bad idea that would be. Wouldn't just twelve angry men do just as good of a job? Horses' hooves notwithstanding, what if the French had happened by at that time, to invade England? Another thing, why would anyone name their kid Humpty, when they clearly KNEW their last name is Dumpty, WHEN to start with, and your son is an EGG on top of it all!

So, in considering all this, one would simply have to speculate that Humpty Jr, didn't actually FALL off that wall, a wall that he could not even have climbed up to begin with. But regardless, by time he actually got to the top of the wall, there would really be nothing else that he could do EXCEPT to jump!

And anybody knows that any true "Suicide", really wants to die and really doesn't want any help to survive (and in case you don't know, "Suicides" do actually DO it; those you usually hear about that fail, don't really want to do it and are looking to be "saved". You see the ones that really do want to do it? They do their best to succeed and, well, they usually do.

So, there we have all the King's horses showing up to save HJ which would actually have worked in his favor, considering his apparent state of mind and ignoring
all the King's Men who also showed up and were almost as ignorant at emergency medical procedures and triage, and so they would only have contributed to the general mayhem and melee' format of the event.

And so, my dear medical speculatory travelers, its seems quite obvious to me, with all this overwhelming evidence, that the star of this bizarre childrens' poem that I had learned to love and appreciate as a child and all of my life, for the most part, really was simply put, a suicide!

Truly people, I'm rather flummoxed here at this unforeseen revelation. Maybe I should switch over to the Wizard of Oz, or worse, The Wiz?

It's like the time I was talking to my sister. We must have been in our late 30's and talking about the family dog, from when we were children. I said Mom and Dad had taken him to the "pound" (local Humane Society), but found an old guy with a farm where he could live out his years. You see, it seems "Bruno" had garnered the parents one too many animal control tickets over the years for philandering or whatever they call it for dogs who impregnate bitch after bitch (and some of them show dogs) until they finally couldn't afford it anymore.

My sister looked at me with pity in her face and said: "OH no, you don't still think mom and dad took the dog to a farm, do you?" At which point, I realized that good old mom and dad really had taken him and had him, "put down". He was getting up there in years and people usually want a younger dog.

Yet another childhood fantasy laid to rest.

And now this? HJ committing suicide? Does it never end?

What next? Alice's White Rabbit really was a coke addict? Which truly, would explain why he was so jumpy, paranoid and manic all the time. Not to mention that those shrooms Alice ate probably weren't really magical.

Where will it all end?

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Afghanistan and US Civilian Strategy

I was inadvertently just watching CSPAN2, "Tonight from Washington" (5:52pm PDT 7/14/2010). I must have hit on something because NPR radio reported on it today too. But curiously, they didn't mention the following.

I had gotten home, played with the dogs for a while, then put on the TV and I was going through my Tivo recordings, deleting everything I really REALLY didn't need as it was getting full. Which means the menu system gets painfullllyyyyy slow.

While I was doing that, I had the screen in a screen function going and I was listening to some interesting guys talking. Then I started to focus on who and what and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was people in our Government talking about current issues today and what they were saying.

This was Richard Holbrooke as US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He was talking to a group with his team seated behind him. He was, as is typical, at a table facing a table with a group facing him, including Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Indiana and Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member), Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin), Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman), Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland), and others. The room they were in was seated to capacity and overflow.

Richard Holbrooke was saying, referring to Afghanistan:

"What happened in 1989 when the Soviets left and the world, as lead by the United States, just turned its back on Afghanistan, and watched the liberation of Eastern Europe; never recognizing that the fall of communism had begun, in Afghanistan. Never recognizing we had a commitment; is a lesson of history, we cannot afford to repeat; and it was a direct line from the 1989 decisions, to 9/11. And we all know the history here."

I found that rather interesting. I suppose, because it never occurred to me before. I had a lot going on back then. I just was wrapped up in my own stuff, family, work, whatever. But it never dawned on me before. Now, looking back, I can see how that was. It makes perfect sense.

Isn't it strange sometimes, when you know something, but its not till long later on that you come to realize that you know it? Or when you hear something and you go, Oh, yeah, that makes perfect sense. Why didn't I make that connection sooner?

Seriously, I think it just takes, taking a breath once in a while. Thinking. Seeing everything around you. Taking the time, to be able to see everything around you. To be mindful of what is going on, all around you. You don't have to do anything. I'm not asking that of you. You don't have to be socially active, or get into the environmental movements, or tell anyone off, or anything at all. It wold be good though, if you were to form an opinion. Better to take a stand.

But to even just notice, to even be aware, to try to see the connections; and then, just to... continue on....

Well, I'm good with that.

"Bubba Nosferatu" - May be coming

It has been 8 years since Don Coscarelli's Bubba Ho-Tep arrived on DVD, and since then we've been hearing about casting and false-starts for the film's sequel, Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires. Ron Perlman was mentioned as a possible replacement for Bruce Campbell as Elvis, while Paul Giamatti became attached as Colonel Tom Parker.

Giamatti remains as enthusiastic about the project as ever, telling MTV News that Nosferatu will definitely get off the ground -- eventually."We've been trying to make that for two, three years, and we're going to get it done at some point," Giamatti told MTV's Adam Rosenberg about the status of "Nosferatu."

"I'm going to f---ing break my spine in half if I have to to get that thing done.We've been trying so hard and we've had so many near-misses," he continued. "It's almost come together like 15 freaking times and then it falls apart. At some point we're going to get that done because it's a great script. We'll get it done at some point."

The main problem is getting investors behind the project.

"I think it's just the atmosphere of movies right now, smaller movies. Nobody has the balls to make a movie for under -- it's got to be a $40 million comedy or a $200 million 'Avatar,' and that's it," he said. "Those are the only things anybody wants to make right now. Nobody wants to do anything else. Everybody's terrified of doing anything else except that kind of thing. So that movie is deemed way too bizarre and outside the box right now. Which is stupid, because there's an audience for that movie, totally."
-- from Facebook's "We Love Horror Movies"

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Music and TV - What's up?

Has anyone noticed that there seems to be a lot thicker connection lately between TV shows and music? "Treme" (HBO, Sunday evenings), about New Orleans right after Katrina; Memphis Beat (TNT, Tuesday evenings), about a Memphis Tennessee cop show with the inimitable Jason Lee, his newest show after, "My Name is Earl".

Why is this? What is this?

During the writers' strike some years ago, TV discovered "reality" shows. Note the word in quotes. That's because when they started we all thought they were "actuality" shows. But now we know, they are "supposed" to be about reality but they are really about entertainment that is merely based upon reality. Well, that's entertainment. Its like the difference between Science Fiction, and Sci Fi (or SyFy).

All I can say, is I love this connection. I would like to see more shows with these intense connections between the music we love and interesting, well written stories. Now I know that's asking a lot, but what the Hell. Give it a shot!

Ever have one of those days?

A while back, I rode my bike, a vintage, 1980 Honda CB900 Custom, to my day job. I now telecommute four days a week, so this happens less and less in inclement weather. On the day in question, I was riding through 37 degree weather onto Bainbridge (Braindead?) Island at about 5:30AM, in order to catch the ferry to Seattle.

My toes and fingers were numb when I arrived there. Why did I ride my bike? Well, its like $26 round trip for the SUV and $12.50 for the bike, that's why. So, I got to work, rather uneventful so far. Then things started to happen.

See, I had hoped to leave work at 3PM as I always do, ride up to see my girlfriend at her coffee/sandwich shop she owned at the time in Northgate, and then we could go to maybe our favorite Thai place on Lake City Way. She was a tiny, very cute, Vietnamese lady. That relationship however, has gone by the wayside. That is another story entirely.

Before I headed out, I got an email saying I needed to work at 6PM. I forgot to bring my security key fob that allows me remote access to work via a web browser, or I could have done it at my gf's on her laptop. Which meant, I had to leave our plans for the evening earlier than I had planned, and catch the ferry to be home to do the work that people were depending on my doing, sometime close to 6PM.

So, I got to her place, hung around having an argument with her friend girlfriend on the subject of "Faith" (that was an interesting discussion), her being an interesting character and at least one time Catholic.

So, sadly, I left about 5:20PM to catch the 5:55PM ferry at Edmonds. That's when things began to get interesting.

My bike's right directional light was acting up that morning. I knew that, but now the left one was. Half way to the ferry, that switch just broke, it just flopped around, no more directional signals. It was still daylight out, so not too much problem, I just had to use hand singles, though never much fun on a motorcycle.

I got on the ferry, and read some of "Harry Dresden, Wizard" by Jim Butcher on my Blackberry. An uneventful 30min trip across Puget Sound.

I got off the ferry in Kingston. I was paranoid and careful about changing lanes and making turns. I left Kingston by the back way and headed up along the water then inland, past Kingston High School road when all of a sudden it started to rain on me. However it wasn't supposed to until about 1AM. Pacific Northwest Weather. Its been said we have the highest rate of suicide by Weatherman in the world. Not true. They either learn to deal with disappointment or the move to healthier climes.

And now it begins....

There is a bit of a hill, leading up to the "T" intersection and stop light at which, I stopped, it now being dark out, and raining. I was wearing leather chaps and a raincoat so it wasn't too bad, plus, the night before I had shined my bike boots and waterproofed them. Lucky.

While sitting at the light, the engine started to sputter. I looked at the mileage. I can do about 120+ miles on a tank of gas. I had put premium in it the last two times and it seems to burn it faster but I get better performance. I was at 109 miles on my trip meter.

Suddenly, the engine just died. I sat there, first and only in line at the light, which was still red, another car on crossing my path on my right was at his light, now red as mine had been as mine turned green. In the distance behind me in one of my rear view mirrors I could see a car approaching me.

I tried to start the bike, it quickly ran the battery down to the point that it obviously wouldn't start.

You see, I'd been having problems with the battery. In a previous blog elsewhere I had detailed the event earlier in August when I got the bike. How I had bought it from a friend about 25 miles away, ridden it home, and unbeknown to me, there was almost no water in the battery.

That time, it had stalled, in the middle of rush hour traffic, in the middle of the I-5 freeway, downtown Seattle, during the time the Blue Angels were flying over Lake Washington at the hydroplane races. Not, a pleasant experience. Luckily, that day, after a few minutes on the side of the road, it gained enough charge to restart and I got home that day. One thing I always liked about Hondas, they always got me to my destination. My older brother can't say the same about his Harleys.

So I think I damaged the battery that day and it has been limping along ever since. If it starts in the morning the bike charges enough so that I'm good all day (it has to be over 3,000RPMs though to charge), but if there is an unusual drain, such as trying to start a bike with no gas, well, then it drains the battery rather quickly.

Which was the point at which I was then at. In the dark. In the rain.

And, in a hurry to get home by 6PM because, well, people were waiting on me.

So I pushed the bike off the road, I was now facing the way from which I had just come. With people driving by, staring. Which, especially for a biker, is mortifying, at least to some degree. Not to mention. NO one ever stops to help a biker. Unless, its another biker. All smart bikers, at that moment, appeared to be home, sipping wine, beer, or hot chocolate; or heroin, crack, chewing bullets, or whatever that other class of biker likes to do during times of bad weather in the PNW. Like a smart biker.

So, I continued to sit there, in the dark (except for the traffic light repeatedly changing green, seemingly taunting me) and in the rain. All I wanted was to go home and get my work done for my company, so I could get it over with. The work that ruined a nice dinner with my girlfriend. The work that eliminated my having delicious Thai food that evening, with a delicious Vietnamese woman.

Sometimes, my job just sucks.

Then it dawned on me, the problem was electricity, right? I just needed a charge. Cell phone? No, too small a charge. Well that was the limit of my electrical inventory. Well, I WAS sitting at the top of a hill, not to mention that just around the corner, in the direction I had been heading was a rather large, much steeper and much longer hill. But the bike, weighing in at over 500 pounds, well, I opted for the shorter hill back the way I had come. Hoping that would be steep enough.

I had flipped the switch on the gas tank engaging my reserve tank of about a gallon, plenty now to get me home. I LOVE emergency gas reserves. Sometimes, I miss my Grandmother's old VW Beetle, because it had one.

But I now also needed to draw the gas into the engine, thus I needed some battery power. Or turning over the engine by rolling forward, which I began to do. Before I even made it down the hill I had enough momentum that I popped the clutch in first gear and BANG the bike started. I noted that the traffic light was now green and there were no cars, so I quickly whipped back around and ran through the light and picking up speed on a now newly slippery road, feeling quite ecstatic with my newly found ability to actually ride home.

That was when the rain started coming down harder, and harder. But I finally made it home and with difficulty, parked the bike in the garage in the front corner next to the SUV. Irritated and wet, I got into the house and with some difficulty, I got my gear off.

Oh, did I mention, that the morning began, with my breaking the zipper tab on my raincoat? So now I had a hell of a time getting it off.

Frustrated and irritated, but glad to be home now, to see my kids (my daughter who had been sick for a couple of days but was feeling better now (yes I was going to have dinner with my girlfriend as I usually do on Wednesday nights, but I was going to cut it short that night because of my daughter anyway) and my son who was pumped about having just rearranged his room), I only wanted to get my stupid work done for my job, that had so ruined my having dinner with my delightful girlfriend whom I got to see so little.

My daughter was feeling better and my son had to show me his room, and then asked me to get the internet fixed for him! Oh. Great! Well, he had mentioned it earlier that day but it slipped my mind.

I got onto my PC. Then I found that it had evidently crashed. Sigh....

So I rebooted it. It took a while to all come back up, the same as well with the internet, but it finally did. So then I tried to log onto work.

Now realize, before I left work, I had set the PC at work up so that everything I needed was on the screen, ready to go. But now, I found it too had crashed. Now, I had to get the damn thing back up again, too, and get everything back in order to be ready to do the work that I needed to do.

Finally, I got everything back up, access to the needed servers was back online and I checked my work email.

Wherein, I then found a certain, somewhat relevant, email. Which said: "We're canceling the work for tonight due to a security access request having not gone through. We'll do this tomorrow night instead. Hope you all have a great evening!"

I've had better nights.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Come on America! Really? Obama rating lower?

I'm hearing all weekend that Obama's polls are down, that his approval rating is down. Its the same as was Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton at this stage, so maybe it means nothing, except for the upcoming elections where the Democrats may have a problem.

But! What are you alternatives? Did you forget already forget the horrors that were the Bush (Republican) administration? I'm actually not as afraid of the Republican Party as I am of Bush but that also means, those who he adhered to, those who put him in power and his voting public. What's that, you say you "refudiate" what I'm claiming?

A little perspective....

When Bush Senior was Vice President, I didn't know what to think, but then he ran for President. I looked into him at that point. He was head of the CIA. At that point, I thought it would be good for someone who probably knew more than the President about what was going on in the world. Let's face it, probably NO one knows what's going on better than the head of the CIA (unless they are head of the NSA). Besides, I really wasn't too sure about Michael Dukakis who was running against him.

Then Clinton got in as president and I was impressed with his work. I also thought that the Republicans were too, and thus, so much crap came up about her personal life in trying to discredit him. Smoke and mirrors for what was really going on? Don't do something but make the guy doing well look bad? Make others look bad when you can't look good? Whatever.

Then Bush Jr came to Power. I didn't know what to say then. Other than, in my best SNL voice, "Really America? Really?" You voted in Bush Jr? What, did you think his dad did so well that you voted him in only once, so you'll vote in the imbecile that was his least favorite son? Oh come on. But, OK. Whatever.

Then 9/11 happened and I said again, "Oh, crap." Someone has to do something. But what? Will it be appropriate? And in the end, something was done, and it made people feel good. But, should we go around doing things just to make the image of our American Eagle (Ego?) "feel" better? I would argue no. Not when someone may die over it.

I had felt that Bush Sr. screwed up (like in WWII when we were ordered to stop at Berlin, rather than kick the Soviets out (look at what that decision did in the long run, it lead to a global nuclear arms race). Bush Sr. should have taken Saddam out when he had the chance in the late 1980s. But I thought, since he did what he did anyway, maybe he knows something I don't. Always the President's card in the hole.

Then Bush Jr cleaned up what Dad failed to do, but now, for the wrong reasons. That boy is just confused. How many new terrorists did we spawn through that war. I'm not saying Iraq didn't need freedom from a bully and a thug, even if he could keep the infrastructure running. I'm saying let's do things for the right reasons. In reality, by the way, Saddam did more harm than good for Iraq in that the national companies and even not national ones, without their Government's financial stipends, couldn't exist or survive on their own after the post 9/11 initial war was over.

I thought, maybe now people will see what's going on with Bush Jr. But no. America (who is this America because I don't know any of them), voted the hot mess that Bush Jr was and is, back into office for a second term! REALLLLYYY??!!! At that point, I threw up my hands and said, well, America, now you get what you deserve. Because, I thought the first term, could be a mistak, no one really knew how he'd be, etc.

But you know, fool me one, shame on me, fool me twice, well, I'm just a damn idiot at that point and deserve any smacking around that I get. If fact, we should set up a booth for people who didn't vote for him, or especially for those he didn't vote for him the second time, to get free whacks on all those people that voted for him a second time. Plus, they should lose their voting rights, until they ready a damn book or actually look into what is going on in the world around them before they are allowed to vote.

Its nice everyone has the vote. But originally only landed gentry (land owners) had the right to vote. Probably because they were the more highly educated and logical back then. Let's face it, you have to have a grain of logic to grow food. But now, just about anyone can vote for whoever, using whatever alien form of logic is available to them in their tiny minds.

Before I close, I'd like to mention Barak Obama's appeal to foreigners. Martin Wolf, of UK's Financial Times, said that "without a slightest doubt", if Obama were to run for a British election, he would win. Polly Toynbee, a columnist for the UK's Guardian newspaper since 1998 said the far ends of political parties always tend to feel that even with their own ranks, nothing is ever enough, no one ever seems to be good enough.

Getting back to Obama. On the next election. Are you really... going to vote... for a Republican? Do you really think they will come up with a better candidate (Palin?)? Do you really, think Obama is worse now, than Bush was for eight years?!

Really, America?

Tomorrow morning: "Every have one of those days?"

Costco

Have you ever gone to Costco, on a Sunday? Or a Wallmart (pretty much ANYtime)?

I did. Today. Good God. There are not the obese dead as there are so much at Wallmart, but they are in attendance. What mostly disturbs me is the grand lack of awareness people have. As if, once they walk into the front door, they check their intelligence, their reactivity to their environment.

OK, when I go to Costco, I have what I affectionately like to call, a list. Today's list, unusually so, was brief. A single item in fact. When I go to Costco (and more to to Wallmart, which I keep to a minimum) I want only to get in, find the goods I need, buy them and get the Hell out as quickly and surreptitiously as possible.

But there are always such great overpowering obstacles to my noble endeavors.

As I enter, in much the same way like taking a child to Chucky Cheese, typically (one would assume), reasonably intelligent (one might assume) adults, turns into a mush of fascination, and desire, I suppose.

And so, after making it into the building, at times not a simple task, I come up against a monstrous wall of flesh, carts and frozen awareness.

Once I can get around that initial group of transcendental entrants, I breeze along through a pleasantly empty period of fresh abandonment that is soon to be dissolved into the second sad, energy sapping, wall of flesh and wheeled-wire baskets.

It is not unlike being in WWI, I think, in trying to navigate the trenches of the French front lines. Not that I was there, mind you, but I certainly now have a greater degree of understanding and empathy.

Not as much empathy as I have for myself however.

In the end, I do get my basket filled for whatever I needed, and then I make it somehow to a check out line from Hell (they have lots of things from Hell there) and I rush to a dead stop immediately leaving the checkout counter. Why? Because, some inseditious fool had designed the store so that once you leave paying for your goods, you run smack dab right into the line at the food counter and the associated seating area where you can slop down your cheap eats.

IF its possible, to move beyond these culinarily vacuous impingement machines, you are hopefully lucky enough to hit the front door where you are then summarily eyed and examined and possibly allowed to exit the building to continue your life until the next time where you have to completely repeat this same dreaded insanity.

And all that, for a bag of chips.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Democracy and Media, possible? The Media Bullies

OK, hey man, what's the Dealio? I mean, what the Hell happened to the Media and when are They going to step up and do something about it? Yeah, yeah, I know, its always up to us, right? Why?

Why have WE let literally everything have to do only with money? To the point that we only can think of life in the terms of how much money is involved, rather than how much involved is the quality, how much the humanity, how much Ethics?

Sound stupid? OK. Why?

I hear a lot about how if people want things to be better, then THEY need to stop buying what is wrong and start buying what is right. Right? Maybe. But does that remove the responsibility of those who are there to supply us with the right information? Are they supposed to only be neutral in their delivery? Are they being neutral? Are they going for what's popular? Or what's right? Well?

Well, they aren't now anyway, so why don't they try to direct their information in the right direction and consider not so much the corporations, but rather, those tend to own them, you know, us, the people, without which I might add, they would not exist to begin with.

Why, should patriotism come to mean things like blind support for failed leaders? What? Yeah, I know....

Media employees need to watch this, with heartfelt appreciation for what Mr. Moyers says in this speech:
http://www.linktv.org/programs/moyers-take-back-the-media

People, you and me, need to listen to this. To talk about it, think about it, and really wonder what is going on.

Why do I ask when the media is going to start policing their own methods and content, to give Humanity a better world? Because, its that kind of thought that needs to take over public thought. Not that its foolish to ever think those out to make money will never consider such things, rather that the general consensus of humankind needs to turn the tide and change how they thing. "Who really wags the system and how?" as Mr. Moyers put it.

"We have reached the stage when the poobahs of punditry have only to declare that the world is flat, for everyone to agree it is, without going to the edge and looking over themselves." he said.

I think its possible to think for ourselves. I think we need to protect the internet. Did you know that at one time, radio was the great hope, the classroom of the air? But look what our government did, the deals they made to lead to what we ended up with. Then it was TV. Slam, another down. Then the media. Slam, another down to the corporations. Now, we have a new form of international, public, free and open discourse. The Internet. We can't allow this to go slam, down with all the others.

I believe we need to bring back public television. I think we should have half our channels as public TV. Commercial TV needs competition, but not from their own, from those with our best interests in mind. We should have more access, not less; not more control, but more intelligent availability. The cell phone cameras, then blogs, the availability of our citizenry one to another is a powerful force. We need to maintain that freedom and be vigilant that it never goes away.

We need to start expecting more for our money, if you will. We need to expect more from our public institutions, government, media, religion.

Don't just ignore it. Pay attention. Not with money, not with filthy lucre, but with pure and unadulterated good intention.

[[[Have a nice weekend!]]]

Did you know you're defined by your plastic wrap practices?

OK, I'll admit it, I've had a slow "funny" week. Partially, because I had a rough weekend and so I just haven't felt funny this week. A GREAT weekend, mind you, but I guess it left me feeling a touch burned out.

Anywayyyyy...(yeah, its kind of been one of THOSE kinds of days...)....

Oh yeah, I got on to lunch time today. Yes, it finally rolled around.

See, I work from home most the time and so when lunch time rolled around, I walked out of my home office, walked down the hall to the Kitchen (capital K because, well, I LOVE a room dedicated to making, playing with and eating foods, not that I usually EVER eat in there but, you get my drift). No, really. The Kitchen, is a cool place. I can prove it. Rent Nine 1/2 Weeks, sometime. Check it out.

So, I make myself a Tuna fish sandwich (and I capitalize Tuna because, well, I try to be respectful of what I have to have killed just so that some day, I'm going to open that can and eat from its now molded shape of a slice of a tube of fish).

What? Oh, okay, OK....

So, I only eat half a can per sandwich and I store the rest for another day. Or till someone else eats it before I get to it, which happens far to often around here. Now, I'm going to store it, so I decide to use the plastic wrap.

You know plastic wrap, it was once called "Saranwrap", but not anymore because one day, we woke up and realized that was a brand name and we were giving them WAYyyyy too much credit. Just like "Fridge" for Frigidaire brand refrigerator (ever realize that their brand name literally says, frigid air?), or Kleenex for sinus leakage tissues (or have you considered that this brand name means, "clean x"; see, even THEY can't call sinus leakages, well, sinus leakages, so the just refer to it as, "x"; really kind of clever if you think about it).

OK, so here's my thought for the day.

I believe...that how you leave the plastic wrap situation, decides your position in Life, AND in after-Life.

No really. Why? Because. Anyone who puts the plastic wrap back with the plastic wrap itself, tucked back inside the deep dark recesses of Satan's box from Hell, with that damn thin, impossible to tear film, wrapped around the tube, so that it takes forever to detach it from that damn tube of impossible to extract aforementioned thin plastic film, made from petroleum I might add(!), yes, petroleum from HELL, then that person, never, is ever, never, never going to make anything of themselves in Life.

They are going to suffer through life, bad things happening at every turn. Suffering through the most miserable of things: thermometers breaking in their ears at 2am when they're sicker than a dog (sorry dog); or the old glass kinds that will break (snap) in their mouths, mercury running with deadly toxic succor down their throats; their favorite redneck trucks breaking down (continuously) on them (FORD: Found On Road Dead, Fix Or Repair Daily, etc., etc., et al, ad naseum, ad infinitum); friends, spouses or lovers will leave them (repeatedly), and for their best friends; every dog they will ever have will die from unnatural causes or aliens will steal them (or land UFOs on them); or their favorite cat will move out to the old lady down the street; and then finally, at the end of that long unendurable, miserable life, they will, most assuredly, go straight to Hell.

But really, I do love my kids.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Bride trafficking

I just watched "Bride Trafficking Unveiled" on CRNT (Current) channel from
Irish Journalist, Laura Barry. She decided to check into the whole mail order bride thing and found some scary situations.

What the hell?

I always was wary of the mail order bride industry. But for the wrong reasons it would seem. There are too many women moving across the world to end up with guys who are not what they seem.

We are all familiar with the whole paradigm on the internet of what you get is not what you see. But there are many women from cultures unfamiliar with the Internet, or ignorant of how it "really" works.

Some of these women said they liked Western men because they like to hold hands, play with the children, be honest, never go out on their wives or girlfriends, and more such nonsense. This says something about the Asian men they have available to them. And I've heard this from Asian women I know myself, who were born in Asia and moved here. And from women still living in those countries. Asian men, don't have a great rep., especially the ones living in Asia now, and I get the feeling they've earned it.

Mail order brides are typically portrayed as money grubbing, golddigging, in some cases even criminal types. There have also be cases of men being ripped off, in the past and present, and organizations run by the Russian Mafia or criminal organizations. But much of this industry has become legitimized. There are "legit" groups serving the public now. You can actually find a spouse.

Many of these women come from areas in the world that even living an unhappy life with any Western guy, is better than where she was, and if she can send money back to her family, should couldn't be happier. But face it, no one can live unhappy like that for long in a culture where others are living happier. But sooner or later, if you abuse someone, they're leaving. Except in the reported cases of women being murdered. This too happens.

Still, remember, you too have to sleep at night. The kitchen is right over there and the knives are sharp. If you notice she is sharpening the knives all the time, you might want to rethink how you are treating her.

It seems that the table has turned and now its the women who are mostly being abused. Some women do rip their new husbands off, and some do end up happily married. Same with normal marriages. But think about it. How many guys do you think are out there who are unattractive and have no marriage options. And for good reason. Probably a lot. Do you think they'd be attracted to a mail order bride situation? Hmm....Maybe?

Its not so much that the men have to be aware of the women they are dealing with, but that the women need to be aware of what they are getting into. Some of the agencies do background checks on their women, but they have no capacity or resources to do these important checks on the men.

Excuse me?

There is no question that there is a huge problem right there. SO, that's about all I have to say at this point.
Other than check out the documentary.
Its pretty enlightening.

Iranian nuclear scientist reappears on the world scene - Special edition

Shahram Amiri, an Iranian nuclear scientist who disappeared a year ago, is back in Iran, claiming to have been kidnapped by the CIA. Really, Amiri? Nice clothes, dude. Getting a degree in Arizona, I hear. The CIA claims he defected.

Where have I heard this story before? The Soviet Union. They used to send us "defectors" who were in reality, disinformation specialists. They were there to give us nice sounding secrets that were total fabrications by the then KGB. After the dissolution of the USSR, the KGB split into the Federal Security Service as well as the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.

I think, maybe, someone in Iran, read a book on espionage, a the word so similar to the word, intrigue. All of which, originated in the Middle East thousands of years ago.

Possible? Oh, I think so.

God died?

I just realized something. God died? They've said, "God is Dead".

And, that singularity? The one everyone talks about? The "big bang!"

Was that was God. Could that have been a God dying?

When we look out into the stellar spaces, is what we see, the corpse of God?

When you turn pure energy, absolute spiritual energies, into another form, it is like taking water and removing the heat, till you have ice.

So, there was God, all pure energy, having a lark, running about creating this and creating that, then there He was, something pulling Him into Himself, Imploding, until He turned to Matter and exploded out into the Universes (you didn't think one God could be contained in ONE Universe, DID you?!).

Cooling him down after his explosion, perhaps He began to congeal, to pull back together. Perhaps there will be an eschatological ending where God happens again in the end, when He "comes back" as all that, all those, Universes, pull back, coming back together again, which would cause another "big bang" and viola': God!

So, when He returns, which explains His absence, what will He do?

What about Jesus(?) you say? That semi-professional, God Magician? Changing water to wine and feeding all those people and all that? Walking on waters, replacing a guy's ear here and there?

Well, He WAS good. But that doesn't necessarily make him God, no matter what He said, and certainly no matter what others said years, decades, millenia after He died.

So, what if one God, one Buddha, met another?

How would the Universe react? What would happen then?

Perhaps, they might have tea. Nothing more I assure you.

But its interesting to consider. Isn't it.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Don't ask Don't tell, really needs to go to Hell

As I write this, I'm watching Kathy Griffin's "Life on the D List". Love Kathy. She's brash, she's cute, she's funny, she's got a bangin' bod and she says what she thinks. Ya gotta love it. She has a big Gay following, Lesbians too, yes and etc., but I'll just use Gay for now, to cover both.

Stop watching The Hills finale for a minute and check this episode out. This may not be as fun a topic as the Mel Gibson tapes, but this is important. Maybe it doesn't affect you, but its affecting a lot of people out there that shouldn't be getting put through this. All this talk about Soldiers protecting our freedoms and being Heroes and all and we subject them to some serious crap on a daily basis.

On her episode tonight, "Kathy goes to Washington", she was invited to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to receive their Ally for Equality Award. Mostly for her work in trying to normalize Gays as people. Before the dinner and award ceremony she met with several active duty military about their experiences in the, "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT) policy climate of the current military.

Their comments were extremely moving and what they have had to endure is beyond, way beyond, the pale. The thought that there are people IN the military who would make American citizens and military personnel feel bad for being who they are, really irritates me. And it should you too. It made me sick.

You really need to view that scene. Watch the hole episode. I always thought DADT wasn't a bad idea, till recently. I remember the military when I was in and the idea of trying to get along with gays, was unacceptable at that time in the late 70s. I thought this current policy a good one, for a time but now I think its beyond the time for it and it simply has to go. The military needed time to adjust. They've had it. Move on.

There are a lot of people in the military who are from environments and social lives that find non-hetero people not only unacceptable but they have been rasied that they cannot abide their even being alive. Okay. But then again, freakin' excuse me?!

OK, its way beyond the time now for those people to get a grip and let go of their inability to deal with, well, Reality (Capital "R", little REAL). Gays are here. They have Always been HERE. Deal with it. They are people. Deal with it. They deserve to be treated with respect. Deal with it. If your religion doesn't allow you to do those things, to treat other Humans with respect just because they live differently than you, but are still good people, then its your RELIGION needs to get a grip, to change, to have some of what "God" has to be wondering what the hell is going on down there? I create all that wonderful stuff, some things to challenge them, and they disrespect my Creations? Who do they think they are?

Law, is not religion. Law says, they are equal, but why are people fighting it tooth and nail? Tiny minds, I guess. But they will lose. We just need for them to lose...now. Or, quicker. Like NOW!

Let me say here and now, I mean, NOW, just to let it be known, I have no personal interests in any of this, just what is right to do; there is nothing that would make me want to say these things. I mean by that, I am not myself gay, nor bi. I have always been and always will be Straight. That's not the issue. The issue is that everyone in America should be having the right to pursue their happiness. IF they are serving in the military, fighting and dying for us, then dammit, they deserve equality and peace of mind just to be themselves.

I've said the same thing about voting, about drinking, about about sex as it relates to the military. If you can send someone to war to die, then they are adults. Or they shouldn't be getting sent off to war. Because that means, they are children. And we get all riled up about doing things to children right?

And rightfully so. Get it? So if they are gay and being sent off to possibly die, be maimed or be psychologically damaged, or just be sent to live in those difficult situations and environments, they deserve to be treated with equality for who they are. Openly, freely. I DO think, they should have decorum. They should NOT be able to act like any gay in any gay district, being openly flamboyant, or annoying, or push it in your face. After all, it IS the military? OK?

Does this mean if heroin addicts are sent off, they should be allowed be junkies, to live their lives as they wish? Of course not. But those kinds of arguments have nothing to do with gays. I think if they want to get married too, they should be able to, but that's another topic. I don't really care if they can marry in the military or not, at this time. One thing at a time. Maybe they should be able to, but I don't think we're quite ready for that yet.

I do think that the basics are necessary. So that if you are a man, OR a woman, you should be treated with open respect in that you are a man or woman. If you are a Catholic, or Muslim, or Jewish, White, Black, Asian, or whatever, you should not be treated badly, but equally and with respect. If you are hetero or homo, you should be treated no differently, but with respect and understanding.

If you treat any of those people poorly, you should be brought to accounting under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and forced to stop abusing them. I think the laws are already there, they just need to add a word: sexuality (they already mention equality is to be given regardless of sex, race, or religion in apparent order of importance, if you ask me).

What those military personnel said to Kathy on her show, really were heart rending.

One of them said he was once with his friend, in the military, his friend said to him, "I think we should hang gay people out in front of the trees so they'd know they aren't welcome here." And he said he knew he just couldn't say anything. That it made him sick. If I were there, I would have said something, like, "Good God, dude, don't be such an icehole." They're people too and it sounds like you're the one with some emotional or psychological problems, or sexuality issues. I worked around plenty of those types in the service and I gave them crap whenever possible.

Gays are people too. Maybe you don't want them around, but they have the right as US citizens and military personnel, to have a happy life without small minded people harassing them for just being themselves." They're just people. People is people. Deal with it. Get over it. Crawl out of the dark ages. Try being a little progressive. Think, man, think! Have a brain.

Gays in the military should not be worried for their safety. This needs to be brought out in the open and dealt with. The military aren't pussies. They are always up for a fight. Except in things like this. Well, it come to Jesus time boys (and girls).

So say something when it comes up. Be a Hero.

"Bubba Nosferatu" - May be coming

It has been eight years since Don Coscarelli's Bubba Ho-Tep arrived on DVD, and since then we've been hearing about casting and false-starts for the film's sequel, Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires.

Ron Perlman was mentioned as a possible replacement for Bruce Campbell as Elvis, while Paul Giamatti became attached as Colonel Tom Parker. Giamatti remains as enthusiastic about the project as ever, telling MTV News that Nosferatu will definitely get off the ground -- eventually.

"We've been trying to make that for two, three years, and we're going to get it done at some point," Giamatti told MTV's Adam Rosenberg about the status of "Nosferatu."

"I'm going to f---ing break my spine in half if I have to to get that thing done.We've been trying so hard and we've had so many near-misses," he continued.

"It's almost come together like 15 freaking times and then it falls apart. At some point we're going to get that done because it's a great script. We'll get it done at some point."

The main problem is getting investors behind the project.

"I think it's just the atmosphere of movies right now, smaller movies. Nobody has the balls to make a movie for under -- it's got to be a $40 million comedy or a $200 million 'Avatar,' and that's it," he said. "Those are the only things anybody wants to make right now. Nobody wants to do anything else. Everybody's terrified of doing anything else except that kind of thing. So that movie is deemed way too bizarre and outside the box right now. Which is stupid, because there's an audience for that movie, totally."

Captured from:
We Love Horror Movies

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Jihad?

The other day I watching Fareed Zakaria, in London, interviewing one of the best known, one of the biggest voices there for jihad and attacks against the west, Anjem Choudary. He spoke in favor of the 9/11 attack in the US. He spoke up being for the 7/7 attack in London (what a jerk! OH, sorry, excuse my opinion encroaching on the text here).

This turned out to be a great showcase for Fareeds skills at handling a difficult subject (Anjem) in an interview situation. Anjem was overbearing, self-righteous and essentially deluded about his world view and his understanding of history and current affairs. Not unusual in this type of personality. Its amazing how well educated some people can be (some terrorists types that is) and yet, still be so unaware of reality, outside their own obsessions.

When questioned about the killing of women and children he side stepped it. When questioned about the killing of Muslims and Muslim women and children, he spoke of how this happened also during Mohammad's time and his battles. He said it was stated then that if you target the enemy (with catapults, etc.) and Muslims, women and children are killed, well, that's okay, after all (rationalizing) you didn't target them.

This man is one of the things that is wrong with the World perception of Islam today. And one of the things that has been wrong with it for decade upon decade but has been hidden or silent to most of the world, until the horrors they have perpetrated upon the world, came to be. Since then, people can see what they are all about.

No, not the Islamic world, the Muslim world; no not all Muslims, but those militant, death loving ones. Its a theme going through the Desert religions from that part of the world, to be death oriented, that was only a matter of time until it became incorrectly focused and made real. I've seen it in Jewish teachings, Catholic and therefore Christian teachings and Islam.

The more reasonable Islam population saying that this isn't really Islam, has little impact. Part of what a religion is, is what the world THINKS it is. Sad, but true. As one cleric said, these terrorists have hijacked our religion and we need to take it back. Exactly.

From what I can understand about Islam, it is a peaceful religion. So is Judaism, Catholicism and Christianity. But they have all gotten a little carried away from time to time. Perhaps Judaism would have the most to complain about being grouped in that category. But with recent events over the past decade or two in Israel, I'm not so sure.

It is with hose disaffected and mentally challenged leaders, the ones who do not go into battle, who do not blow themselves up, but put a younger, less stable, less world- oriented individual up to it.

"Go die for our God (or Mohammad, our untouchable Idol), for I cannot permit myself to go because then I won't be here to send other young people off to die while killing innocent people, whom we have decided are not innocent because of indirect rationalizations and because we cannot fight against the actual aggressors as we perceive them. Oh, well, kill them anyway."

There area a few sane, Islamic web sites out there:
Muslims against Terrorism

On the site, Muslims against Terrorism: "By God, he is not a true believer,
from whose mischief his neighbors do not feel secure." -- Prophet Mohammed (Bukhari, Muslim)

Also from there:

Memo to Osama bin Laden:
"I would rather live in America under Ashcroft and Bush at their worst, than in any “Islamic state” established by ignorant, intolerant and murderous punks like you and Mullah Omar at their best." -- A thought-provoking, controversial, pre-war article by Muqtedar Khan, Ph.D., February 12, 2003

What is needed here? What is to be done with people who profess war. Yes, that includes Western leaders and countries, don't think I don't think that. But these terrorists decry the West (but seldom the governments of their own kind).

When questioned about the US and allied forces liberating Kuwait from Iraq, Fareed's interviee's response was that no Muslims were being killed by Muslims. Okay, this isn't just misinformed or deluded, this is retarded. Yes, retarded. Maybe not a politically correct word because of a bunch of touchy feely scared to say or do the wrong things, types, but look up the word. Use appropriate verbiage.

Merriam-Webster defines it as such: "Sometimes offensive : slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress."

Yes, its offensive, but I don't even mean it here as being offensive, just accurate. What is offensive, is consciously murdering innocent people in the name of religion. How in any form of thought is that acceptable?

"Islam is not the source of terrorism, but its solution", says author Harun Yahya.

"It is time that we Muslims acknowledge that the freedoms we enjoy in the US are more desirable to us than superficial solidarity with the Muslim World. If you disagree, then prove it by packing your bags and going to whichever Muslim country you identify with." -- Dr. M. A. Muqtedar Khan

Ed Bradley: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the responsibility... Does not Islam, does not Allah require that Muslims police their own religion and rid themselves of extremists?"
Hamza Yusuf: "Yes, absolutely. It's an obligation for Muslims to root them out. And I think it is a jihad now for the Muslims in the Muslim country to rid themselves of this element." -- CBS's 60 Minutes, September 30, 2001

"Who has the greatest duty to stop violence committed by Muslims against innocent non-Muslims in the name of Islam? The answer, obviously, is Muslims." -- Ingrid Mattson, Vice President, Islamic Society of North America

So in wrapping up, Anjem Choudary and his other deluded cultists, followers, friends, cohorts, murderers, criminals, religious bastardizers and enjoyers of religious mass murders, do you get it yet? Do you?

The Jihad, is against you. Your own people say so.
It is you and your kind sir, it is you, need to be put down.