Elvis earned $49 million dollars last year…even though he’s been dead for 30 years. It makes you wonder why those of us among the living labor to get by financially while the dead rake in millions in the midst of eternal rest. Perhaps the dead know something we don’t.
They say, “You can’t take it with you”, but apparently that hasn’t kept the dead from trying.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
My Own Private War on Terrorism
Sadly, but true, this pacifist is conducting my own private war on terrorists – the furry variety…the squirrels out back!
Several years ago they made their way into the eaves of our home and built a nest in the rafters. During the day, we could hear them scamper in the bathroom wall and their sound, not to mention the possibility of their causing structural damage, was extremely irritating. A broken piece of soffit allowed their entry, but as soon as the opening was repaired and the nesters were trapped and removed (humanely, of course), the problem disappeared.
Like most terrorists though, the squirrels have begun probing the spouting for an entry point again. I’ve responded with preemptive action – a massive ‘shock and awe’ relocation program that entails capture and relocation to a distant forest habitat.
In this war on terror, there are no 24-hour interrogation sessions, no blindfolding of prisoners, no use of ‘waterboarding’ to simulate drowning, no sexual humiliation of the entrapped and no use of equipment to inflict physical pain. There’s no ‘extraordinary rendition’ for torture either, just one last opportunity for the furry rodent to finish eating the trap’s food before being released back into the wild.
My friends point out that with each departing rodent, another may take his or her place and that may be true, but my vigilance – not any overreaction to the problem – will provide the best chance to insure the continued safety of my home. It’s a war I can wage without violating my conscience.
Several years ago they made their way into the eaves of our home and built a nest in the rafters. During the day, we could hear them scamper in the bathroom wall and their sound, not to mention the possibility of their causing structural damage, was extremely irritating. A broken piece of soffit allowed their entry, but as soon as the opening was repaired and the nesters were trapped and removed (humanely, of course), the problem disappeared.
Like most terrorists though, the squirrels have begun probing the spouting for an entry point again. I’ve responded with preemptive action – a massive ‘shock and awe’ relocation program that entails capture and relocation to a distant forest habitat.
In this war on terror, there are no 24-hour interrogation sessions, no blindfolding of prisoners, no use of ‘waterboarding’ to simulate drowning, no sexual humiliation of the entrapped and no use of equipment to inflict physical pain. There’s no ‘extraordinary rendition’ for torture either, just one last opportunity for the furry rodent to finish eating the trap’s food before being released back into the wild.
My friends point out that with each departing rodent, another may take his or her place and that may be true, but my vigilance – not any overreaction to the problem – will provide the best chance to insure the continued safety of my home. It’s a war I can wage without violating my conscience.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
From the Ashes
The charred ruins of several thousand burned-out homes in California, the unfortunate result of numerous wildfires, prompt reflection upon the destructive forces of nature and all that stands in its path. We do our best to harness nature for the good of mankind, but nature has its own rules that, in the end, seek to reassert its dominance over man.
We are only stewards on this ‘blue marble’, and should never forget the consequences of our actions or how we affect our earth – lest nature should remind us with all its fury!
When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, many outsiders criticized its citizens for building in a flood plane; oddly enough, it was the US government who first encouraged them to do so, and when hurricanes struck the eastern seaboard, those same critics mocked folks who built along the beaches. No doubt, voices will be raised critical of those who chose to live among the trees and forests of California too.
If not among the trees, near the beaches or in the flood planes, then where?
Shall we fault mid-western farmers for plowing fields or building barns on plains routinely ravaged by tornadoes? Should we disparage all who build near rivers, creeks or streams since flooding of even the smallest of tributaries can kill? Is it right to criticize Floridians for choosing to live in a hurricane highway?
We put down roots where we think we can prosper, and hope that by the grace of God we can weather all that happens to come our way. Sometimes we do – sometimes we don’t.
Thousand of lives in California are confronting hopes and dreams today that resemble little more than piles of ash. Prayers will comfort. Criticism won’t.
Nature marches forward…and from the ashes, new trees will grow.
We are only stewards on this ‘blue marble’, and should never forget the consequences of our actions or how we affect our earth – lest nature should remind us with all its fury!
When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, many outsiders criticized its citizens for building in a flood plane; oddly enough, it was the US government who first encouraged them to do so, and when hurricanes struck the eastern seaboard, those same critics mocked folks who built along the beaches. No doubt, voices will be raised critical of those who chose to live among the trees and forests of California too.
If not among the trees, near the beaches or in the flood planes, then where?
Shall we fault mid-western farmers for plowing fields or building barns on plains routinely ravaged by tornadoes? Should we disparage all who build near rivers, creeks or streams since flooding of even the smallest of tributaries can kill? Is it right to criticize Floridians for choosing to live in a hurricane highway?
We put down roots where we think we can prosper, and hope that by the grace of God we can weather all that happens to come our way. Sometimes we do – sometimes we don’t.
Thousand of lives in California are confronting hopes and dreams today that resemble little more than piles of ash. Prayers will comfort. Criticism won’t.
Nature marches forward…and from the ashes, new trees will grow.
Health Care of Poor Children Not a Bush Priority
The President snuck off to his office a few weeks ago with absolutely no TV cameras or photgraphers to record the incident and vetoed legislation that would have provided medical insurance, and thus, medical care to millions of poor children across these United States. Never mind that the President’s own health care will be paid for by taxpayers for the rest of his life, free of charge. Never mind that not a single one of those children he denied medical coverage to did anything wrong, except perhaps be born of parents who lacked financial resources to pay for their medical care. It’s a sad commentary on the condition of this Presidency that within weeks of seeking billions to keep killing in Iraq, the President decided the health of a few million American children wasn’t worth protecting.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Taking Back America
In the cold, hard winter of 1776-1777, hundreds of continental soldiers gave their lives in the name of freedom at the encampments at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. They'd heard the words of the Declaration of Independence read the summer before, and they came prepared, as many have since, to lay down their lives in an effort to create a country based on freedom for all.
There was no safety at Valley Forge from the biting winds, the deseases, the lack of proper food and clothing that would fell many a patriot, but those who died and those who survived did so, in large part, because they recognized that freedom demanded a price that all who sought it would have to pay.
Two Hundred and Thirty years later, a large part of the citizenry of these United States of America have chosen a different path from the colonists of 1776. They've chosen safety over freedom and self-preservation over personal sacrifice. Had they lived in 1776, American might never have been born.
There was no safety at Valley Forge from the biting winds, the deseases, the lack of proper food and clothing that would fell many a patriot, but those who died and those who survived did so, in large part, because they recognized that freedom demanded a price that all who sought it would have to pay.
Two Hundred and Thirty years later, a large part of the citizenry of these United States of America have chosen a different path from the colonists of 1776. They've chosen safety over freedom and self-preservation over personal sacrifice. Had they lived in 1776, American might never have been born.
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