Hairballs and More Stuff to Chew On

What you need ... to be a Republican

A friend sent me a paper that describes "What you need to believe to be a Republican." This has been floating around the Internet for awhile, but we're going to offer up one of "what you need to believe" per day until they're all used up. They're funny, but sadly, also true!

Here's No. 1: That Jesus loves you and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.


Get on Board - or not

"Ever since 'we' invaded Iraq, most of us have gotten nothing to show for it other than an enormously increased national debt that we will be paying off for decades to come and an economy that is sputtering into recession."

So says Robert Scheer of Truthdig. I would add that we've also gotten 4,000 dead American soldiers, thousands of wounded, thousands of shredded lives, and hundreds of thousands of other dead. But Scheer, in this instance, is talking economics, and in that sense, the only people who made out in this mess are the "royals" who control our government, almost all of which are joined at the hip to the oil bizness.

"It's easy," says Scheer, "for the Bush big shots to equate the fortunes of big oil with that of the nation. After all, George W. got to be president only because his failed career in the Texas oil industry exposed his charms to the big energy guys, who then bankrolled his political career. Dick Cheney was an out-of-work defense secretary when picked to be CEO of Halliburton, which has profited mightily from its dealings with Exxon, not to mention running the Iraq franchise."

But what Scheer says next is most interesting and something I had missed along the way:

"... the image we should all recall is of the Chevron tanker named Condoleezza Rice. Only in America would we think it not a conflict of interest that Rice was paid handsomely for being on the board of Chevron from 1991 until she resigned to go to work in the Bush White House. How worried can she be about the deteriorating position of the United States in the world when her oil company buddies are doing so well?"

Scheer suggests that the reason the oil companies, (and he names Exxon specifically) do so well is not that they have incredible oil-drilling skills, but because they are backed up by the power of the U.S. military! The U.S. military "can be marshaled to intimidate those nations that would dare challenge Exxon's right to profit exorbitantly." The oil companies, says Scheer dare strut across the oil-stained sands because they have "the full confidence that Uncle Sam will back them up."

What we need to understand is that the interests of the oil companies are not the national interest; that the interests of the oil companies are not in your best interest or mine. Too many of our young men and women have died and too many of our country's resources have been plundered to protect these behemoth corporations.

So, Scheer concludes: "The next time you fork it over at the pump remember the $40.6 billion Exxon got, and you will get the point that 'they' and 'we' are hardly in the same boat."

P.S. Oil has now reached $100 a barrel!


One Republican a day

If a Republican legislator or other form of politician begins clamoring about homosexuality, or child abuse or other such, I immediately find that person suspect. Over and over again, the people who have been most vocal about these things are revealed to be closet homosexuals or child predators.

Pam Spaulding at Pam's House Blend tells about Robert A. McKee. McKee "is a Republican delegate from Western Maryland as well as a former chaplain for the Hagerstown Jaycees and trustee and community services chairman at First Christian Church. Hagerstown authorities looking into child pornography confiscated two computers, videotapes and printed materials from McKee's home a few days ago.

McKee has sponsored legislation designed to protect children from sexual predators. McKee, for 29 years has worked for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Washington County. Due to this recent flap, however, he resigned his post as Executive Director.

Now it comes: "For me, this is deeply embarrassing. It reflects poorly on my service to the community," said McKee. You think?

He went on to say that "My primary focus is to get well and stay well. I know this can only happen with the support and prayers of my family and friends and the help of professionals."

At least, contrary to our friend, Senator Craig, he owns up to what he is. And I truly hope he can get well. But I sure do get tired of all this hypocritical b.s. these guys put out over the years!


Houston killer a youth pastor

He's been working at Elim Church in Pasadena, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He's 29 years old and his name is Calvin Wayne Inman. He resigned his position as youth pastor in December.

On Feb. 5, Inman told police he stabbed a 64-year old convenience store clerk to death in 1994 when the clerk asked Inman and a 13-year old friend for ID before selling them tobacco. He told police he could no longer keep this secret.

Some members of Elim Church have forgiven Inman, and say they admire his courage. One man said "He's a hero, really. I don't know how many people would do what he did. The Bible says you just need to confess to God. Calvin took an extra step."

Nah. He's not a hero. A hero goes out of his way against incredible odds to save someone else, not his own ass. And it should be emphasized that the Bible does not say you just need to confess to God. It says you must definitely confess to those you harmed and make restitution.

No doubt Inman, recently ordained and born-again, was feeling a bad case of the guilts. To confess under that kind of emotional duress doth not a hero make!

Frankly, I don't know what I'd do with this guy. It's a conundrum. Thank god I'm not god!


Human machines

Ray Kurzell, "a leading US inventor," says that by 2029, "Machines will achieve human-level artificial intelligence."

[This is humor: I'm not sure that's so good. There's too many dumb humans now. We certainly don't need dumb machines, too.]

Back to the story. Kurzwell claims that it won't be long before we'll be able to put little bitty robots in our brains to make us smarter. He thinks that we will also see a merging of humans and machines through devices planted in the body which will better our health as well as our intelligence.

It seems to me that some of this is going on now. e.g. pacemakers, insulin pumps?

Kurzwell acknowledges that's true but says that his predictions are simply an extension of what is currently happening.

He told BBC News that "We'll have intelligent nanobots go into our brains through the capillaries and interact directly with our biological neurons."

I wonder if this means we can change emotional behavior; if we can create law-abiding citizens out of criminals; if we can modify destructive behavior and habits?

And if so, and we become humanistic machines or vice versa, what does this do to a concept of a deity and how does it impact ethics?

Maybe we are god!


What Islam says about sex and marriage

This from Joanna Sugden in Times Online. Sharia, or Islamic law, says a number of interesting things about sex and marriage.

1. A man can have four wives if he can take care of them "equally." [This is not the case in Tunisia where polygamy was outlawed as it was felt that only Mohammed could satisfy four women. And in other Islamic countries, a man has to prove he has the necessary financial resources before he can marry more than one woman.]

2. A man must go to each wife an equal number of nights. If he marries a virgin, he can stay with her for 7 consecutive nights. A non-virgin bride only gets three consecutive nights.

3. A man cannot marry two women who are sisters.

4. Muslims must pay a dower or the marriage is not valid.

5. Virgins, younger women, educated women and pretty women get higher dowers. A wife can refuse sex is her dower hasn't been paid.

6. There is no alimony in Islamic law. Thus a woman can delay receiving a dower until divorce, and a man can increase the amount during the marriage.

7. A man must provide his wife with a house removed from her in-laws and his other wives, or she can leave him.

8. A man in Saudi Arabia can divorce a wife by saying "talaq, talaq, talaq." This can be done in person, over the phone, by text message, fax, or telegram. In other Islamic countries a man must say "talaq" over three consecutive months.

9. A man can revoke the divorce up to three months after he said "talaq." But during that three months he must provide for his wife financially.

10. A man can revoke his divorce by smiling at his wife within three months from his "talaq."

11. A couple whose divorce has become final cannot remarry until the woman has married another person and had sex with him and then divorced him.

12. A woman can obtain a divorce is she can prove her husband has a sexually-transmitted disease that could prove fatal, or elephantiasis, or is insane, or if he mistreats her or fails to fulfill his sexual duties. Women now have the right to divorce by mutual consent and the wife must return her dower.

Sounds a lot like the good old Biblical days!


Selling Perfumes and Jesus

Looking Good for Jesus is an American company. It put together an advertising campaign with Jesus at the center to sell its products but quit after Roman Catholics protested.

This all happened in Singapore. LG for J was selling perfumes and other smelly stuff with "cruciforms and images of Christ flanked by women." Catholics got mad.

Some of the slogans were creative if nothing else: Believe in God breath spray, for example, used the following: "Get tight with Christ," "Get His Attention," and "Redeem Your Reputation and More."

The company also sells items such as Virtue Perfume, Pope's Cologne, and handcreme made by Norwegian nuns...

This company stinks!