Recent Blog Posts: Tehachapi News

“Mortal clay” more than a poetic expression

Sun, 20 May 2007 12:56:48 PDT

Young Frankenstein is one of my very favorite funny films. I’m far from being alone since the AFI has it number 13 on its list of the 100 funniest American movies ever made. From insisting he be called “Fronkensteen” and calling his grandfather a nutcase, the grandson is led to read the book “How I Did It” and exclaims “It could work!” For those who know the history of the original Mary Shelley Frankenstein and how the mysterious forces of electricity and magnetism were being used in both science and quackery of the times, Gene Wilder’s “It could work!” is something still believed by quite a few people.

In many ways both electricity and magnetism continue to be the mysterious forces they were at the time of the original Frankenstein story, and some of the theories of how life began require the electricity of lightning. It can be supposed this was the “breath of God” in the Genesis account, something very much like the Frankenstein story. Even after heeding the wise dictum that once you have exhausted all the possibilities of the probable in seeking an answer there remains the improbable as the only remaining solution, there are improbabilities beyond human ability to entertain. There is a very good reason some scientists say there are things “unknowable” about our universe, that there are things beyond even our capacity to imagine.

The beginning of our universe is difficult enough to imagine, but what of the instrumentality preceding our universe responsible for the original material; where did that come from? Far beyond our science; and even far beyond our imagination, things not requiring atomic structure for their existence for example.

But the Genesis story might not only be alluding to electricity, lightning, as the breath of God, but also may credit his using the “dust of the earth” for life forms. It may be no accident that our bodies are often referred to as “clay.”

The following points are made by Eörs Szathmary (Nature 2005 433:469): In investigating the origin of life and the simplest possible life forms, one needs to enquire about the composition and working of a minimal cell that has some form of metabolism, genetic replication from a template, and boundary (membrane) production. Identifying the necessary and sufficient features of life has a long tradition in theoretical biology. But living systems are products of evolution, and an answer in very general terms, even if possible, is likely to remain purely phenomenological. Going deeper into mechanisms means having to account for the organization of various processes, and such organization has been realized in several different ways by evolution. Eukaryotic cells (such as those from which we are made) are much more complicated than prokaryotes (such as bacteria), and eukaryotes harbor organelles that were once free-living bacteria. A further complication is that multicellular organisms consist of building blocks—cells—that are also alive. So aiming for a general model of all kinds of living beings would be fruitless; instead, such models have to be tied to particular levels of biological organization. Two recent workshops reviewed the state of the art in artificial cell research, much of which focuses on self-replicating lipid vesicles. David Deamer (Univ. of California, Santa Cruz) and Pier Luigi Luisi (ETH Zurich) each described the production of lipids using light energy, and the template-directed self-replication of RNA within a lipid vesicle. In addition, Luisi demonstrated the polymerization of amino acids into proteins on the vesicle surface, which acts as a catalyst for the polymerization process. The principal hurdle remains the synthesis of efficient RNA replicases and related enzymes entirely within an artificial cell. Martin Hanczyc (Harvard Univ.) showed how the formation of lipid vesicles can be catalyzed by encapsulated clay particles with RNA adsorbed on their surfaces. This suggests that encapsulated clay could catalyze both the formation of lipid vesicles and the polymerization of RNA...

So, the story in Genesis and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein may have scientific validity in the use of clay and electricity. But it would serve well to keep this caveat in mind when attempting to force some simplistic view of evolution on people: “Identifying the necessary and sufficient features of life has a long tradition in theoretical biology. But living systems are products of evolution, and an answer in very general terms, even if possible, is likely to remain purely phenomenological.”

Please note the doublespeak of attempting to be “scientific” while at the same time using phrases like “theoretical biology” and “an answer in very general terms, even if possible, is likely to remain purely phenomenological.” If possible? Purely phenomenological? It won’t do; these are not answers, only labels in lieu of understanding. In my opinion the story in Genesis is a far better abstract of what comes closest to the truth of the matter. I may not be satisfied with the errors of Creation, but both benevolent and malevolent gods at war resulting in the chaos and confusion to be found in good vs. evil, a universe hostile to life and Nature red in tooth and claw at least makes some sense of things. And it remains intelligent life, self-aware and cognitive as represented in human beings continues to hold the distinction of being the longest shot in the universal lottery.

Take this for example: World’s smallest life form discovered. Shasta County mine yields mini-microbe. New York Times, Saturday, December 23, 2006: The smallest form of life known to science just got smaller. Four million of the newly discovered microbe—assuming the discovery, reported Friday in the journal Science, is confirmed—could fit into the period at the end of this sentence. Scientists found the microbes living in a remarkably inhospitable environment, drainage water as caustic as battery acid from a mine in Northern California. The microbes, members of an ancient family of organisms known as archaea, formed a pink scum on green pools of hot mine water laden with toxic metals, including arsenic. “It was amazing,” said Jillian Banfield of UC Berkeley, a member of the discovery team. “These were totally new.” In their paper, the scientists call the microbes “smaller than any other known cellular life form.” Scientists say the discovery could bear on estimates of the pervasiveness of exotic microbial life, which some experts suspect forms a hidden biosphere extending miles underground whose total mass may exceed that of all surface life...

While some are attempting to extrapolate this to the possibility of life on other planets throughout the universe, there is simply no evidence to suggest our planet with its possibly unique structure of “a hidden biosphere extending miles underground whose total mass may exceed that of all surface life” exists elsewhere. Just to place life here on our planet into the phenomenological is to say science does not have an answer to the mystery of the origin of life or an answer to what, exactly, life is. And without an answer to these questions, in my opinion the story in Genesis remains the standard, and the simplistic catch-all term “evolution” does not answer the greater questions of life, our solar system or the universe. But then I agree with those who say some things are “unknowable,” at least while we are confined to these mortal bodies of clay.

LILLY ZYPREXA SUITS in 8 STATES

Sun, 20 May 2007 01:07:52 PDT

Zyprexa targeted by AG's for Criminal Fraud

Utah Latest state to sue Eli Lilly in developing "Viva Zyprexa" Scandal.

Side effects to Zyprexa can include high blood sugar levels, acute weight gain and pancreatitis, according to the lawsuit.

"Utah has paid millions of dollars for inappropriate and medically unnecessary doses of Zyprexa. As a result, Lilly has been illegally enriched at the expense of the State," the lawsuit said.

The state is seeking civil damages and penalties, including $5,000-$10,000 for each prescription that was "not medically necessary."

Lilly also faces lawsuits filed by attorneys general of Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and West Virginia alleging that it marketed Zyprexa for unapproved uses or hid the risks of weight gain and diabetes.

Eli Lilly makes billions on diabetes treatment and also gets $4.2 billion a year in sales of their biggest cash cow Zyprexa which has been scandalized as *causing* diabetes as a major side effect.

Not fair!

http://www.topix.net/forum/drug/zyprexa/TMJV6TGOVUAIL6UHL/p2 what observers are saying

Daniel Haszard www.zyprexa-victims.com

(Don't shoot the messengers)

Noise pollution

Sat, 19 May 2007 22:36:38 PDT

I think it's getting noisy out there. People on cell phones, talking way too loud, at restaurants, the doctor's office, the post office, the grocery store. Mufflers that have been purposely jacked up so they are booming away. Those really annoying auto base systems that thump away at traffic lights, gas stations, parking lots all over Tehachapi.

I use my cell phone all the time. I take my call OUTSIDE so people around me don't have to be bothered with what is only important to me

"Broken" mufflers used to be against the law, back when those double bangers were installed in the old '57 Chevys. Groovy - but you'd get a ticket.

I crank my jazz and blues way up in the car, but I keep my tastes in music to myself and best friends. My windows are rolled up and the base isn't coming from a two ton woofer. I feel no need to impress any stranger with what I like.

I'm thinking people are in need of some serious attention. If that's not the cause, I'll have to consider that the population has become very rude.

See the poll on this site and take your pick what you hate the most.

United States of Christ

Fri, 18 May 2007 18:04:51 PDT

Began creating video with help from the Lord on May 10th 2007 and finished May 13th 2007.

This video is for all of our Soldiers serving in the Military in the United States.

Video link:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cb6LPjs03TY

Free Will Fruit Flies or Predestination Fruit Cakes

Fri, 18 May 2007 17:20:47 PDT

Now that the cat is out of the bag just how likely is it those scientists are going to be permitted to test the bullet fragments from JFK’s assassination, especially since the very powers involved with his assassination have so much to lose. The wonder of it to me is that even the announcement of such a possibility was allowed to surface. But once you factor in Marilyn Monroe, RFK, and a multitude of “coincidences” and the fact government commissions lie to protect the guilty no amount of trying to lay the conspiracy to rest is going to suffice, notwithstanding the single damning point the Carcano carbine quite simply would not have been the weapon of choice by any knowledgeable shooter, alone or otherwise. Believe Bugliosi? Not on the proverbial stack of Bibles.

But whatever the outcome of this recent threat to expose the lies of the Warren Commission and its lackeys, it remains those in our leadership lie to us; and sometimes the lies are so huge and grotesque as to be literally mind stultifying to rational people. I’m all for a war against Muslim fanatics fought to win, a war that is clearly defined and the enemy clearly defined and our troops are allowed to kill the enemy rather than suffer and die to no purpose when our own leadership is in bed with enemies like Saudi Arabia that build the mosques and schools right here in America preaching hatred of Americans!

Given the enormity of the things already done, and done with impunity and no accountability it can too easily be supposed things are in the works to bomb Iran whether by Bush or by Israel. After all, what does Bush have to lose? His idea of globalization would seem to be much like that of all those who believed they should rule the world, that God has ordained him to fill the position as the leader of the most powerful nation in history and his destiny to use this position for God’s purpose.

I don’t know, but I don’t discount the supernatural in the affairs of humankind, and anyone simply skimming the various present scientific theories of the universe will find God and angels have plenty of elbow room in which to dwell and work. But there is plenty of room as well in present theories for those like me looking for answers to what may be a conspiracy of evil with the Devil in charge. However, no matter what one believes most would agree those like George Bush and Iran’s mad mullah both purporting to be speaking for God simply cannot be trusted to act rationally. And few would disagree when someone holding great power over others declares they are God’s divinely appointed and anointed to fulfill their “destiny” on God’s behalf the door is open to monumental human suffering as a result.

Those purporting to be “liberals’ may find comfort in their smug self-righteous assumed moral superiority, but they are in no better case and are no more to be trusted than those purporting to be on God’s side in their conservatism. The conspiracy of evil I believe to be the enemy of humankind works both sides and destroys all attempts to find an accommodation to a middle ground of moderation. For example, the ACLU is as vehemently opposed to such moderation as ever Jerry Falwell was. And when such disparate factions wield power you are going to have conflict, not attempts to ameliorate differences.

I really enjoy those two Mummy movies with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz; the flights of fancy into ancient Egypt complete with the magic and curses, the great scenery and special effects, the funny dialogue, all marvelous escapism to me. But is there really only a fine line between coincidence and fate? Granted fate as such is only a belief, but it is one that finds common ground in most religions, even among many people that profess to have no religious beliefs.

Among some of the more curious areas of scientific experimentation is trying to determine if fruit flies possess free will. While it isn’t a popular sport today, not that long ago you could find yourself in a physical brawl over Predestination vs. Free Will. And in Muslim nations it remains a cause of virtual blood-letting. But maybe science will settle the argument:

Study hints that fruit flies have free will. Findings could shed light on human choices, neurobiologist says. By Charles Q. Choi. Special to LiveScience. May 15, 2007: A spark of free will may exist in even the tiny brain of the humble fruit fly, based on new findings that could shed light on the nature and evolution of free will in humans. Future research delving further into free will could lead to more advanced robots, scientists added. The result, joked neurobiologist Björn Brembs from the Free University Berlin, could be “world robot domination.” “Seriously though,” Brembs said that programming robots with aspects of free will “may lead to more realistic and probably even more efficient behavior, which could be decisive in truly autonomous robots needed for planetary exploration.” Better understanding aspects of free will in humans also could aid in the treatment of mental disorders where people face problems controlling how they feel, think or act, such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Brembs told LiveScience...

When I read the article the thought crossed my mind it is remarkable there are actually scientists who would think of testing for free will in fruit flies. You have to admit this is not the stuff of burning curiosity among most people, not even among scientists. But here it is, testing fruit flies for free will. Marvelous! This at the same time there are those in Muslim nations still emasculating baby girls and stoning people to death over matters of religion. Quite a contrast between civilized nations and those of barbarians.

However, there is the disquieting suggestion in such science of controlling human behavior to an extraordinary degree for the sake of “efficiency.” Previous discoveries in nanotechnology have led to some male wags suggesting that slipping a few nanobots into women’s coffee and getting Stepford Wives already seemed like a good idea. Now suppose China steals the technology, as they are wont to do; the mind reels with the possibilities! But despite Muslims trying to make automatons of women subject to men, I wonder if they would go along with such a program. Is there anything in their religion that would forbid some scientific nudging in the direction they already require of women?

It’s all very interesting to me, but the way things are heating up with Israel and the Middle East, an incompetent, to be charitable, leadership in America, and my own ideas concerning a vast conspiracy of evil of Biblical proportions it may all prove to be moot in any event. It may not matter in the end if any of us are free will fruit flies or predestination fruit cakes when one or the other has itchy fingers on nuclear triggers. Maybe I will yet resort to lighting candles in the face of so much prevailing, dark lunacy.

Need some guidance

Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:03 PDT

When I first started to blog, I had mistakingly posted an incorrect statement. I was corrected and it was suggested to me where to go to get correct info. I have forgot where to go. Can someone tell me again? I have received an e-mail that is very disturbing if it is true. It has a very disturbing picture and video that I can not show here. It isn't sexual, just gruesome. The article says it is bacteria or larva and it is getting into women's milk ducts and fatty tissue of the breast. I don't want to pass this along to my friends unless I know it is real. Please help me find out. Thanks

Remember Me?

Thu, 17 May 2007 14:14:37 PDT

Hello,
Remember me?
Some people call me "Old Glory"
Others call me the "Star Spangled Banner"
But whatever they call me, I am your Flag,
The Flag of the United States of America....

Something has been bothering me, so I thought I might talk it over with you... because it is about you.... and me.

I remember some time ago people lined up on both sides of the street to watch a parade, and naturally I was leading every parade, proudly waving in the breeze. When your Daddy saw me coming, he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder, so that his hand was directly over his heart...Remember?

And you, I remember you. Standing there straight as a soldier. You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the right salute. Remember little sister? Not to be outdone, she was saluting the same as you, with her hand over her heart.... Remember?

What happened? I'm still the same old flag. Oh, I have a few more stars now and a lot more blood has been shed since those days long ago. But now I don't feel as proud as I used to. When I come down the street you just stand there with your hands in your pockets, and I may get a small glance, but then you look away.

Then I see children running around and shouting; they don't seem to know who I am.... I saw one man take off his hat, then he looked around and saw no one else with their hat off, so he quickly put his hat back on.

Is it a sin to be patriotic now? Have you forgotten what I stand for? And where I've been? Anzio....Normandy... Guadal Canal....Iwo Jima.....Korea..... Vietnam.... Persian Gulf....Afghanistan....and now Iraq?

Take a look at the Memorial Honor Rolls sometime. Note the names of those who never came back; they died to keep this republic free... One Nation Under God!

When you salute me... you are actually saluting them.

Well, it won't be long now until I'll be coming down your street again....So when you see me, stand straight, place you right hand over you heart, and I'll salute you by waiving back.... and I'll know....

YOU REMEMBERED.

JFK: What else won’t the government tell us?

Thu, 17 May 2007 12:20:56 PDT

By now I suppose most people know the Warren Commission was a whitewash riddled with inaccuracies and downright lies. While it was an amusing scene in the film Armageddon, I didn’t laugh at Bruce Willis asking if the government would tell him who really shot JFK. The world was in danger of being destroyed and still the government wouldn’t answer the question. Are there really some secrets held so “sacred” to government insiders they will be carried to the grave of even our own planet? One might well be excused for thinking so. Such Machiavellian secrecy on the part of our government undoubtedly boosts Scientology and a host of other beliefs, even encouraging fanatical Muslims like bin Laden that believe “the pious caliphate will start from Afghanistan.” So, are American President’s like Clinton and Bush committed to evil conspiracies? And if one like JFK doesn’t play along he gets “eliminated?”

When they held that Carcano carbine up for all to see immediately following the assassination of JFK I was dumbfounded and my immediate thought was they can’t be serious! As a gunsmith with extensive knowledge of firearms I knew the Carcano carbine was rated the worst among the guns used during WWII, and I actually owned one as a curiosity piece together with a box of the ammo. As the story unfolded on TV and elsewhere I kept expecting someone to debunk the Carcano and lone shooter claptrap. We were expected to believe someone like Oswald knowledgeable of firearms would use such a weapon. This in spite of the fact that no knowledgeable person would believe you improved the accuracy of such a piece of junk like the Carcano carbine with a scope; in fact, no knowledgeable person would waste the time and money mounting a scope on such a piece of junk; and to use this junk for such an important target? Ridiculous! And that elongated unstable bullet, even an expert handloader wasn’t going to be able to drive nails with that round, and one not even boat-tailed to improve the ballistics, notwithstanding the infamous inaccuracy of the carbine itself!

No matter how later “tests” were staged in attempts to show the Carcano carbine could have been used to kill JFK, despite all the other evidence pointing to a conspiracy the fact remained it could not have been the weapon of choice for any knowledgeable shooter given such an important target. But if the scheme was to make Oswald the patsy for a much darker conspiracy the Carcano carbine would serve as well as any other. And while no knowledgeable person could be so deluded as to believe this type of gun would actually be the weapon of choice for the purpose, not only would most people know nothing about a gun like the Carcano carbine one thing the conspirators could depend on: If people saw it on TV (remember the line by Jack Nicholson in The Shining) they would probably believe it. Then, it only remained for the conspirators to give it the imprimatur of fact by convening a commission to approve the lies.

Knowing all this, I read the following with great interest: Scientists cast doubt on Kennedy bullet analysis. Multiple shooters possible, study says. By John Solomon, The Washington Post May 17, 2007: “In a collision of 21^st-century science and decades-old conspiracy theories, a research team that includes a former top FBI scientist is challenging the bullet analysis used by the government to conclude that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The ‘evidence used to rule out a second assassin is fundamentally flawed,’ concludes a new article in the Annals of Applied Statistics written by former FBI lab metallurgist William A. Tobin and Texas A&M University researchers Cliff Spiegelman and William D. James...”

Whatever the outcome this much I know. We the People were lied to about JFK and the Warren Commission was a whitewash riddled with lies. We were lied to about Korea and Vietnam, we have been lied to about Iraq, so who can blame anyone for coming to the conclusion the 9/11 Commission is a whitewash riddled with lies? There is Sandy Berger caught red-handed attempting to cover up for the Clintons, and who can be faulted for believing our own government may have been behind the Attack on America? In point of fact, all We the People are left with is the knowledge our government lies to us, and has been guilty of such monumental lies in the past we have just cause to wonder whether our government will tell us the truth about anything?

It is patently ridiculous to watch the present crop of political contenders refusing to offer sensible solutions to securing our borders, the ongoing wars, trade policies, and so many other things of monumental importance to our very survival as a nation. And I am increasingly convinced of a conspiracy of evil pervading throughout our government.

As a rational human being I know there has to be more than just the ordinary greed and avarice at work when so many of our elected leaders are obvious liars and thieves, but none are held accountable for being such liars and thieves. Committees are appointed, Commissions are formed, and the outcome is inevitably to whitewash, lie, and let the evildoers go free. The lunacy of impeaching Clinton for sex and failing to hold Bush accountable for lying us into wars boggles the mind! How to make any sense of such lunacy? But both Clinton and Bush continue unscathed, both proven liars, both possibly companions in an evil conspiracy of such magnitude their differences matter nothing thereby explaining what otherwise would be lunacy.

Maybe there is a Devil, maybe the earth is his domain as the Scripture declares and Faust is more fact than fiction. Whether or not, our own government reflects far more of Mussolini’s favorite The Prince than anything in the mind of our Founding Fathers. And despite all the evidence of We the People suffering the organized robbery and tyranny of a Federal Triune Dictatorship we seem powerless in the face of such monumental evil.

It was a funny scene in the film Independence Day when it is revealed to the President that Area 51 actually existed complete with an alien spacecraft and alien bodies, but it is far more likely our President’s know more than they are willing to share of the truth about anything, and I continue to wish there really was a Klaatu coming to confront the madness of our rulers. In the meantime, we have leaders that lie to us, and lie on such a scale that it defies reason, and I keep thinking there has to be an explanation for why the good seems impotent against so much evil throughout the world, why as Emerson pointed out those like Socrates and Jesus leave no class.

A Pirate's Life For Me

Wed, 16 May 2007 14:46:36 PDT

“It’s a Pirate’s Life for Me” - what a great title! What a great musical it could be! What a fun play to take the kids and relatives to! Well, it’s coming on May 18^th and 19^th in the main sanctuary of Country Oaks Baptist Church, costumed, with rousing music, and a great story.

The students of Heritage Oak School are presenting a musical based on a pirate theme that deals with issues like: can we be satisfied with the life we’ve been given, can a pirate really retire, can young men and women sing like Bluebeard, can Long John Sliver recover his nine chests of gold, is there really such a thing as a .357 magnum coconut gun, can someone in the audience conga dance with a pirate crew, will the blow-up palm trees stay inflated for the whole performance, and can someone actually miss the “boring” life they’ve left for the excitement of the “sweet life” of piracy?

Of course, if you want the answer to these, and many more questions, you’ll have to come to the play. The students are practicing like crazy. The costumes and props are looking good. The soundman is being extra careful. 0h, yes…and the students are practicing like crazy.

Come out and support their effort. Where else can you get this kind of fun for five dollars except maybe by downing a latte grande at Starbuck’s? Need a good laugh? This play’s the place to find it. Doors open at 6:30, and the play starts at 7:00. See you there!

Video cuteness...

Wed, 16 May 2007 13:11:24 PDT

Took a little digging, but I found a little puppy cuteness to share!

Enjoy

>^..^<

The possible choice of Impeach or Nuremberg

Wed, 16 May 2007 12:36:24 PDT

Hitler’s generals realized too late the direction he was leading Germany. Will our own generals realize this of Bush in time? Is a Seven Days in May in the offing? When things begin to spiral out of control, the unthinkable often becomes the reality. Like concentration camps here in America, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, these were unthinkable until they became a reality.

While enduring some part of the GOP “debate” last night I was reminded of P. T. Bridgeport’s “wind-up candidates.” Since the time of Walt Kelly’s spoof of presidential candidates nothing has changed for the better among either Republicans or Democrats. What We the People are still being offered is wind-up toys, cookie-cutter mannequins as choices. It crossed my mind that to have persons like Jerry Falwell and Al Sharpton on the stage would at least have been interesting, and in their cases you would at least be entertained. A “What you see is what you get” choice would at least be a choice.

One thing has changed, however, and that is the amount of blatant corruption to be found in the White House and Congress. It’s one thing to treat elected office as a license to steal, but quite another when it is flaunted shamelessly for the whole world to see on a daily basis and the whole bunch are so corrupt none of them dare hold any of the others accountable. But it is obvious in a divided “Press one for English” America, something those advocating for Mexican slave labor to satisfy Corporate Greed do not seem to realize is increasing the anger and resentment toward Mexico and Mexicans throughout our nation, things are spiraling out of control as those lusting for power stumble about like blind men trying to grab the gold ring, seemingly oblivious of the fact America lacking any leaders of virtue is like a house of cards inviting collapse, and the mounting corruption in the White House and Congress could cause the collapse of America as a nation. I repeat from earlier writings:

There are times when the “unthinkable” becomes thinkable by force of circumstances and there is no muddling through. For those of us who lived that era of WWII and went on to study the history of the war at length it is impossible to miss some very disturbing parallels to what is happening with our present government and that of Germany leading to the Nuremberg Tribunal.

That our present White House has become so ultra-secretive is a case in point. One cannot but help wondering what the President and his administration have to hide? Once secrecy for whatever reason is invoked, especially on the seemingly too oft specious argument “national security” all becomes suspect. None of us question the need of secrecy where actual national security may be at risk, there are valid cases of “need to know,” but there is Sandy Berger. And we know there are many Berger’s in the present administration.

But there is little in the Congress to give us hope corruption in government will be ended, or even contained. When it comes to politics it is business as usual and we would be hard pressed to point to any one politician and say we have faith in that person to act with virtue. Some say they have faith, but let’s see them prove that faith by their works.

Sen. Gordon Smith, a moderate Republican from Oregon who has been a supporter of the war in Iraq, said months ago “the U.S. military’s tactics have failed and he cannot support that anymore.” Smith went on to say he is at, “the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs, day after day… That is absurd...It may even be criminal.”

While Smith’s use of the word “criminal” has caused him to do some furious back-peddling the word has been used, and there is no going back from it. He may have fallen under the spell of his own rhetoric, a typical cause of politicians putting their foot in their mouth, but many understood the enormity of such a word being used. I certainly understand it and had already written about it back in April before Smith uttered the word, knowing as I do the lessons of history and human nature teach there is nothing too fantastic to imagine happening in a world seemingly lunatic because of being dominated by religious and political hatreds.

While Hitler’s underlings “were just following orders,” while Hitler received “credit” as the architect of Nazism, his generals and others faced Nuremberg, the verdict of both that tribunal and that of history. I maintain Caesar Bush and his underlings will yet face a “Nuremberg” in absentia if not in reality.

In addition to the list of crimes on the part of Caesar’s underlings, is Caesar’s own betrayal of America through selling out our nation…with the cooperation of a treasonous Congress refusing to secure our borders and for betraying We the People to a half trillion dollar debt, Globalization, Outsourcing, NAFTA, CAFTA, La Raza, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, all with the clear intent of making Americans slave labor to benefit the wealthy, ruling elite! We are going to hear more people using the word IMPEACH! But can an equally corrupt Congress sold out to corporate masters, all of them in the same bed betraying America and refusing to secure our borders thereby inviting nuclear terrorism be expected to follow through?

Those of us who lived the years of WWII and Nuremberg, who know the history of that era, know circumstances can lead to the unthinkable. None of the ordinary citizens of Germany or Japan could possibly believe how catastrophic for them would be the decisions their leaders were making. None of us at the time could possibly believe there would be concentration camps being set up right here in America. But when corrupt leadership betrays the ordinary citizens of any nation, the unthinkable often and cataclysmically becomes the reality. It would be foolish for any to say it can’t happen again when the circumstances are pointing to it happening again.

Fad you'd most like to see come back

Wed, 16 May 2007 12:25:57 PDT

What fad, fashion or otherwise, would you most like to see come back?

For me, I'd love to see some good, original tie-dye again.

And maybe some dance music without a bass thump that shakes the dishes out of their cupboards.

Oh, let's get away from "pocket" dogs and back to real, dog-sized dogs.

Anyone else have something?

Frming the all-star team

Tue, 15 May 2007 17:45:12 PDT

The coaches have spoken, the Tehachapi player names are in, the deadline has passed! Now it is time to set the teams. Looks like we will have the full 36 players, 18 per team. This is the max we can have so the players will get in the games! Still looking for sponsors! Talked to two league winning coaches today and both accepted the offer to coach the All-Stars. Thanks guys for stepping up. More later,,,,,

I will miss Jerry Falwell

Tue, 15 May 2007 12:45:54 PDT

With the death of Jerry Falwell today we mark the passing of an American icon of Christian Fundamentalism; and quite frankly I will miss him notwithstanding my having long departed from his form of Christian orthodoxy. Whatever the legitimate criticism of Jerry he was consistent in his Biblical message as he interpreted it. While my only conversation with Jerry several years ago was to say the least unproductive, nevertheless I have always credited him with being consistent. And that counts for a lot when you know where a person stands; would that politicians were as transparent.

However, upon hearing of Jerry’s death, as uncharitable as it seems, one of the first things that came to my mind was something I had read years ago of the meeting between C. H. Spurgeon and D. L. Moody. The writer shared an amusing anecdote of the American evangelist telling the English preacher as he lit one of his well-known and favorite cigars; “Brother Spurgeon, don’t you know that is sin.” Spurgeon poked his finger at Moody’s ample stomach and replied, “Dear brother Moody, don’t you know that is sin.”

One of the more unkind remarks made about Moody is that “He dug his grave with a fork,” though anyone who has seen pictures of him can see he never missed a meal. The same can be said for Falwell. But it was that exchange between Moody and Spurgeon that emphasized the differences between believers, how sin is often defined depending on the particular beliefs. Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of being a drunkard and glutton; and while obesity hardly commends taking care of the “temple,” I won’t call it sin but I’d appreciate others not calling my smoking a sin. Not that it matters much anymore what anyone calls sin in my life.

One of my great old friends, J. Vernon McGee would tell the story of a group of German Christians visiting America. The Germans condemned the immodest dress of American Christian women, and the American’s condemned the Germans for drinking beer. Once in a while just to emphasize this point McGee would repeat the story of a traveller stopping for gas, and as the attendant was filling his tank the traveller remarked on the number of church spires dotting the town in the valley below, saying, “My, the people in that town must love God.” The attendant replied, “I don’t know about that, but I know they sure hate each other.” You see, Peyton Place and the Harper Valley PTA do not have a monopoly on hypocrisy.

Jon Voight’s new film, September Dawn, is bringing down the wrath of Mormons especially. Voight defends the historical accuracy of his film, the massacre of 120 men, women, and children ordered by Brigham Young beyond any historical contradiction, and at the same time makes the point all would do well to heed: “My own spiritual philosophy has always been: do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” This adherence to the Golden Rule as Jesus pointed out, and doubtless Voight believes, would save suffering humankind a lot of grief if practiced.

Well, Jerry Falwell’s detractors are not expected to mourn his passing. Many will point out he was guilty of promoting the very thing of McGee’s gas station attendant story. But it isn’t any different in the political sphere. For example, the headline blazons “Anti-immigrant legislation passes in Texas town.” No, neither the people nor their town is anti-immigrant; they are anti-illegal aliens, as are all real Americans. So why didn’t the headline read “Anti-illegal alien legislation?” Because the power and wealth controlling the MSM, these being on the Devil’s payroll favors open borders for the sake of the slave labor benefiting the powerful and wealthy, and the tool of the powerful and wealthy, political correctness, would magically transform illegal aliens into “immigrants.” It no longer matters to the MSM that there is no such thing as an illegal “immigrant,” as Hitler proved you just keep repeating the lie until people believe it to be the truth.

“Texas town upholds immigration law. Farmers Branch first to vote on measure prohibiting renting to illegals (AP)—May 12, 2007. FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - Voters in this Dallas suburb became the first in the nation Saturday to prohibit landlords from renting to most illegal immigrants (aliens). The ban was approved by a vote of 68 percent to 32 percent in final, unofficial returns. The balloting marked the first public vote on a local government measure to crack down on illegal immigration. ‘It says especially to Congress that we’re tired of the out-of-control illegal immigration problem. That if Congress doesn’t do something about it, cities will,’ said Tim O’Hare, a City Council member who was the ordinance’s lead proponent.”

My hope it that a hundred towns across America will follow the lead of Farmer’s Branch, Texas. This would empty the deep pockets of the anti-American ACLU and cure not a few politicians of sucking eggs, that is, Mexican eggs with their flavor of slave labor.

Now what about the Rove/Gonzales connection to the fired prosecutors over investigation of voter fraud favorable to Mexico and illegal aliens? All those missing emails and so much more damning evidence of the wealthy favors such things like voter fraud for the sake of slave labor. Can We the People ever expect the truth to be told when those of great power and wealth are determined to tell lies?

All of this to point out an essential caveat to the Golden Rule, and one that neither Jesus nor Voight would deny: It only applies and is workable when the circumstances are such to enable people to obey the rule. An America without a national identity, without a heritage, culture, common language and secure borders can possibly obey the rule.

Well, maybe the Lord is now straightening Jerry Falwell out on a few points of disagreement. And when it is my turn, I’m sure I’ll be held to the same standard, something we certainly do not expect in this evil world system.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mon, 14 May 2007 19:29:03 PDT

Time for something beautiful and pleasant.

These pictures are from a recent trip to Mission San Juan Capistrano. My wife and I took the train from Santa Clarita through Union Station then on to San Juan, and walked across the street from the train station to the Mission. It's been there for a few hundred years and it's beautiful.

And if you head down there, check out dinner at Rendezvous, which is in the train station at San Juan. You can have dinner in old passenger cars, quite fun and great food.