7 Deadly Sins: Pride

(1. A high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.)

Friday, November 28th 2008, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was reported to say "it was clear that Indian forces were not on par with elite Israeli units."  The comment served as a response to November 26th Terrorist attacks within the Indian city Mumbai (formerly Bombay.)  So far reporters estimate 174 people dead.  Terrorist gunmen attacked 10 sites within Mumbai.  The seemingly coordinated effort may be linked to an overall strategy within Pakistan to move Pakistani troops off the Afghanistan border back over to their traditional (i.e. conservative) position on the Indian border.

The rationale behind such a move has been attributed to controlling a restless population within Pakistan's borders.  'Focus the nuclear missiles back on India, put your finger on the trigger and maybe the Pakistani populace will stop fighting one another long enough to cheer on the nuclear destruction of both Pakistan and India.'  In light of the events in Mumba, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly said, "there had been "proper and correct cooperation" with India throughout the crisis."





7 Holy Virtues: Temperance

(1. Moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.)

The Christian Science Monitor wrote a nice piece applauding the Indian and Pakistani government's for their response to the attacks in Mumbai.  They tied the word "9/11" to the ten Mumbai attacks and advocated for the continued "restraint as well as resilience" on the part of India and Pakistan.  Is this a back-handed shot at the United States of America from the Christian Science Monitor?  If it is, it may be an appropriate admonishment for the Future of Our Country.





Current Affairs

The tendency to forget envelopes the United States of America.  The election wasn't the goal!  We haven't finished everything yet.  We never will finish everything because our Being is an issue for us, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. 

There isn't time for going back to sleep right now.  

What do we have left before us?  A bad economic-system and worsening conditions for individual living?  That's not how it is being sold though.  We've bought stock in the business sector if you tow the corporate line.  Our Economic Bailout has allowed the few to continue to rent their lifestyle of easy credit and large salaries.  We put Our money into what "We" care about, but we still sell it to the masses as being all about the masses.  We've got image over substance and it has nothing to do with the last presidential election.

Barack Obama T-shirts have sprung up as of late.  They have all the style and grace of a Jesus Christ bumper sticker. 

It's time to stop responding inappropriately.  Barack Obama won an election and made history.  Now he needs to lead and the American people need to pay attention.  The American citizen needs to be vigilant. 

Hiding behind T-shirts creates royalty status.  The shirt suggests subservience.  It time to take off the shirt and pay attention.

Ask questions. 

Barack Obama: "Facing an economic crisis of historic proportions...the old ways of thinking and acting won't do."

We're taking a step back to the days of President Eisenhower with an Economic Recovery Advisory Board.  President Obama will expect them to be "candid and unsparing in their assessment."  He will compose this board of people in business, labor and academia.  The board is designed to make sure assumptions are challenged.

I'll leave you with two thoughts on this press conference.

1.  In his farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against allowing undue influence in society by the military-industrial complex as well as he warned we "must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect."

Obama seems to be adopting quite a few themes from Mr. Eisenhower.  That may be a good thing.

2.  In the "one more question" (i.e. the last question) portion of this press conference, the talk about the reporter asking three questions in one was brilliant in light of George W. Bush's tenure in office.  Bush was fairly rigid when it came to allowing more than one question a reporter.  It seemed at times he didn't like more than one question at a time because he couldn't remember the second question after he answered the first. 

Obama clearly has a sharp mind, demonstrated by the way he runs down the questions asked by the reporter all at once.

It's not a conspiracy...it's called a Corporation.

What does it matter where you were thrown in this world? 
You should feel lucky you have a job!
You're in need of things and those things will keep you alive.
They're your concern.  Those things.
They make up your world.  Make you forget.

Maybe it would be luckier to be born rich.
Then I wouldn't have to worry about getting a job.
It's not communism.  It's the facts of life.
If I'm rich, I'm not working in McDonald's building.

What's the answer?  Who knows?
Repeating the same action and wishing for a different result.
That seems like a pretty good answer.
The definition of insanity.
We're pumping money propping up Our-Children's-Future on a financial system which in turn advocates for us to invest our money in trinkets and kitsch. 
They invest their money in important things with dividends.

They're getting investment kickbacks while encouraging you to eat out.
You've invested your money in a meal.
They've invested theirs in a mortgage-backed security.
They've invested in a promised-payment-no-longer-being-paid.

Stuff fills your house and you feel lucky to have a job.
You should feel lucky for the interest rate bearing down on you.
The economy is a wreak.  Now we see what we've been living.
The system being propped up with Our Children's Future is a series of promised-payments-no-longer-being-paid.

Question is: do we JUST want to set it up like before?
It failed.  Why not consider changing the system significantly?
For the Better of Everyone.  Not communism.
We've got brilliant possibilities for Democracy.
The greatest good achieved from the simplest possible action.
The greater good is what we're after in the end. 

Isn't it?

Jobs can be created.  The Congress is given the power to coin money in the Constitution.
Our roads need repairing.  Pay accounting for what it takes to live.
I know what you're thinking.  This guy's a communist.
Not the case.  $7 or $8 an hour does not feed a family of three.
If top executive pay were tied to being only 50% over the lowest paid employee, standards of living would improve dramatically in this country.
Top executive refuses to participate, tax 'em at a higher income tax rate.

Starting at $10 or $12 an hour sets you up in a poor American lifestyle as well as negatively impacting every single raise given afterward. 
My time is worth more than $10 an hour.  I don't care what I do.
Your time should be worth more than $10 an hour simply because you are a human-Being-in-this-world.

We'll die one day then we'll stop renting our time.

Where Are My Followers of Christ on this One?

Santa Claus is a Saviour and Destroyer.  What can be more beautiful than giving?  Some people question whether giving is even possible.  Santa Claus brings out feelings of felicity.  It's really a beautiful word: Felicity.  We like one another for a moment when otherwise we would not because of Santa Claus.

That's good.

Every year Santa Claus visits little kids homes.  Parents lie about the finances of the situation, but Santa Claus can be a very generous guy once a year.  Santa Claus can spend an entire month's pay on one day.  Sometimes more.  Once a year Santa Claus drives retail sales. 

He's been co-opted into the corporate world, but once a year we still feel good about one another.  That shouldn't change.  It's an odd ritual we've built into our society from pagan roots.  Santa Claus is not of the Christian church. 

Santa Claus just couldn't be destroyed.

Our Nation's Dumber...Thanks for Participating!

 Black Friday sucks!!!

Belly Laugh

Just because I've had two people bring it up to me at separate times this week, I want to take a look at one of the funniest movies out there.  Office Space.

"I've got people skills...what the hell's wrong with you people?"