I had an awesome day today. My day began with my usual tune-in to the morning news program on ABC.
Today was so very different and special, though!
Apparently George W. Bush paid his farewell visit to Iraq yesterday. His "swan song" so to speak, a happy time for those of us that have spent the past eight years in utter humiliation with almost 100% of what this man said and did. I have no doubt that history will recognize this man as the buffoon he truly is. For anyone that still believes he's anything but a blithering idiot, today's news should remove all doubt.
During his news conference, a reporter removed his shoes, and one at a time, hurled them at our fearless leader's noggin. I have to give the man credit, he came pretty darned close with the second shoe!
I watched in complete adoration and glee as the shoes whizzed past "the shrub's" head, and felt compelled to rewind the moment on my DVR and watch it a half dozen times. It was especially fun one frame at a time.
Once the incident was over and the shoe tossing man had been taken into custody, Bush quipped that the shoes were size 10's, and that the reason the man threw the shoes was because he wanted his two minutes of TV time.
IDIOT! Would one think that after eight years in the position of President of the U.S., dealing with people in the Muslim world that he'd have a clue that the man winging his shoes at his head and calling him a dog insulted him in the worst possible way in that culture? Seriously?
Herein lies the root of the problem with Bush and his gang from day one.
Complete lack of understanding of the complexities of any part of the planet that ends at their noses.
Utter disregard for other cultures and beliefs.
Arrogant, stubborn refusal to ATTEMPT to figure out what causes people to behave the way they do in that part of the world, and finally, apparently, never bothering to try to learn.
Ignorance, at least apparently in the corner of the world inhabited by this bunch of chicken hawks, truly is bliss.
I just wish the shoe tosser had nailed him right between the eyes. Who knows, it may have even knocked some sense into him.
1-20-09..end of an error.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
This week our annual World Vision gift catalog arrived. For anyone unfamiliar with World Vision, it's an organization that globally works to improve the lives of impoverished people. Robin and I have been sponsors of children since the early 80's, when we saw a program on TV that told how a small amount of money per month from a sponsor can change people's lives.
The first child we sponsored was in the Phillipines. Her name was Nanette. Once she graduated from the program, we were assigned her younger sister. More kids through the years. Sadly, a boy we'd sponsored through his teenaged years was in the path of the horrible Tsunami, and was assumed lost by World Vision when I contacted them to see if he was OK. We take comfort in knowing that at least for part of his life we may have made things better for him. The child we were assigned thereafter is a small girl in frail health in Chile.
We are thrilled and excited each year when the gift catalog arrives. In it, one can purchase gifts like a dozen chickens for a family in the Sudan. Goats, milk cows, wells for clean water.
(Clean water? WOW!) Seeds. Fruit Trees. Clothing. Mosquito nets to prevent malaria. School supplies. It seems that in other countries the children actually WANT to go to school! The list of items that one can provide is endless. Some gifts cost as little as $15. Other gifts, like a barnyard of various animals, cost more.
I think the thing that our family likes most about this catalog and the time we spend leafing through it to select each year's gift of choice is the knowledge that we are blessed in our lives..not only blessed to be where we are on this beautiful spinning globe, but that we have enough. Enough to share. Enough to help. Enough to "spread around". It reminds me of the quote "There but for the grace of God go I" and it humbles me. That could be me. That could be my child.
The truth is, it IS me. It IS my child. We are all connected by this thing called life and responsibility. I am my brother's keeper. Some folks like to call this concept of spreading the wealth and sharing Socialism. So be it, call me what you will.
Recently, the financial "crisis" blew up into a disaster of epic proportions. I don't claim to be an economist, but one doesn't have to look too hard or have a fancy degree to see that a good bit of this problem was brought on by nothing more than good old fashioned GREED. Corporate CEO's that make millions after bankrupting a company.. private jets. Fifteen homes in fifteen different places. More money than one person could spend in their lifetime, the lifetimes of their children and grandchildren. Greed, pure and simple. In the world of these people, folks that need a mosquito net to avoid getting malaria while they sleep don't exist. It's sad and pathetic and so absurd that it's an abomination. The amount of money that just one of these people makes in a week would feed a small country of impoverished people for a year.
It's time that we acknowledge just how far off track we have gotten. It's past time that we begin doing what we were put on this Earth to do. Care for one another. Respect one another.
Understand that the faces of poor people we see on documentaries about far away places are really the faces of our brothers and sisters. It doesn't matter if they are Christian or Hindu or Muslim or Buddhist or if they have no affiliation. It seems to me that the Creator of us all would be all knowing enough to know that with the diversity of the human race that was placed here, different people would respond to different messengers. If one looks closely enough, it's easy to see that an awful lot of the messages that have been delivered through the ages are at their root the same message. That is, the messages as they were truly delivered, not as they have been manipulated by imperfect humans, but then that is certainly another blog...
As for me, I believe that the message I am in the mood to deliver tonight is in the form of the purchase a goat and a couple of dozen chickens.
The first child we sponsored was in the Phillipines. Her name was Nanette. Once she graduated from the program, we were assigned her younger sister. More kids through the years. Sadly, a boy we'd sponsored through his teenaged years was in the path of the horrible Tsunami, and was assumed lost by World Vision when I contacted them to see if he was OK. We take comfort in knowing that at least for part of his life we may have made things better for him. The child we were assigned thereafter is a small girl in frail health in Chile.
We are thrilled and excited each year when the gift catalog arrives. In it, one can purchase gifts like a dozen chickens for a family in the Sudan. Goats, milk cows, wells for clean water.
(Clean water? WOW!) Seeds. Fruit Trees. Clothing. Mosquito nets to prevent malaria. School supplies. It seems that in other countries the children actually WANT to go to school! The list of items that one can provide is endless. Some gifts cost as little as $15. Other gifts, like a barnyard of various animals, cost more.
I think the thing that our family likes most about this catalog and the time we spend leafing through it to select each year's gift of choice is the knowledge that we are blessed in our lives..not only blessed to be where we are on this beautiful spinning globe, but that we have enough. Enough to share. Enough to help. Enough to "spread around". It reminds me of the quote "There but for the grace of God go I" and it humbles me. That could be me. That could be my child.
The truth is, it IS me. It IS my child. We are all connected by this thing called life and responsibility. I am my brother's keeper. Some folks like to call this concept of spreading the wealth and sharing Socialism. So be it, call me what you will.
Recently, the financial "crisis" blew up into a disaster of epic proportions. I don't claim to be an economist, but one doesn't have to look too hard or have a fancy degree to see that a good bit of this problem was brought on by nothing more than good old fashioned GREED. Corporate CEO's that make millions after bankrupting a company.. private jets. Fifteen homes in fifteen different places. More money than one person could spend in their lifetime, the lifetimes of their children and grandchildren. Greed, pure and simple. In the world of these people, folks that need a mosquito net to avoid getting malaria while they sleep don't exist. It's sad and pathetic and so absurd that it's an abomination. The amount of money that just one of these people makes in a week would feed a small country of impoverished people for a year.
It's time that we acknowledge just how far off track we have gotten. It's past time that we begin doing what we were put on this Earth to do. Care for one another. Respect one another.
Understand that the faces of poor people we see on documentaries about far away places are really the faces of our brothers and sisters. It doesn't matter if they are Christian or Hindu or Muslim or Buddhist or if they have no affiliation. It seems to me that the Creator of us all would be all knowing enough to know that with the diversity of the human race that was placed here, different people would respond to different messengers. If one looks closely enough, it's easy to see that an awful lot of the messages that have been delivered through the ages are at their root the same message. That is, the messages as they were truly delivered, not as they have been manipulated by imperfect humans, but then that is certainly another blog...
As for me, I believe that the message I am in the mood to deliver tonight is in the form of the purchase a goat and a couple of dozen chickens.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Wedding Survival Tips From Dominic
Even guys that are less than three feet tall can look cool in a tux!
The grown-ups are all really nervous. Running up and down the aisle pretending to be a race car is a nice distraction for them. If this doesn't work, try refusing to let them pin the flower on you. It'll take up some time and give them something to focus on besides throwing up.
Don't listen when they try to get you to put your toys away. People with important jobs at weddings can find time to play with their cars.
Ties suck. So do fancy shoes.
The lady with the big harp looks at you suspiciously every time you get near her tangle of cords and her stringy noisy thing. She doesn't know that you can do a better job playing it than she can, but maybe if you can get just a little closer.....
No matter how dressed up they make you get, be yourself.
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