Monday, April 23, 2007

B.Y. You, Dick, etc/Broughton Poem/Einstein's God


(P1) Political


Three Views From The Right Schools

(religious right, that is)



(1) B.Y. You, Dick


Amazingly, even Mormon bastion Brigham Young University's students and faculty have begun to find fault with the treasured Bush Administration, specifically with Vice President Dick Cheney. Their concerns have not centered so much around policy, but are more about the perception that Cheney is an "immoral" man. Two examples are cited by two different groups:

1. doesn't want him to speak at commencement due to his apparent use of the "f" word in addressing his political opponent Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT?


2. at least one faculty member is concerned that Cheney may not be a truthful man, eg. using the bogus "WMD" to support a pre-ordained attack on Iraq.



(2) Pat Robertson Lays (Down) the Law


Did you know that TV Evangelist and African mining investor Pat Robertson founded two institutions of "higher" education, Messiah College and Regent Law School avowedly to advance the agenda of his Christian Right. Nothing particularly alarming about either.......except that........Regent Law School, typically located at the bottom end of rated law schools, boasts no fewer than 150 members of the Bush Administration including Monica Goodling, Bush's liaison with the Dept of Justice. Goodling's attorney recently indicated she would take the fifth amendment rather than testify in GonzoGate. Instead, a few days later, she quit the Justice Dept.



(3) First it was Pluto - Vatican set to Dump Limbo


First it was Pluto. Now we're going to have to do without Limbo. Although never unpleasant, Limbo had been an obstacle to Heaven for unbaptized babies. So, apparently due to competition from other religions in Africa, the Catholic Church, is recognizing that the unbaptized-babies-can't-go-to heaven idea just doesn't play there where the infant mortality rates are through the roof. It looks like they may go to heaven after all. So, bye bye Limbo, and, therefore, when dancing, it's no longer "Limbo Lower Now," it's "Perhaps-Heaven's Lower Now."

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(P2) Poetical

Quit your addiction
to sneer and complaint
Try a little flaunt
Call for comrades
who bolster your vim
and offer you risk
Corral the crones
Goose the nice nellies
Hunt the bear that hugs
and the raven that quoths
Stay up all night
to devise a new dawn

James Broughton from Little Sermons of the Big Joy
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(P3) Philosophical


Einstein's God

Here are several Albert Einstein quotes re. God and the supernatural from Walter Isaacson in the April 16 issue of Time
  • "Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible laws and connections, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion. To that extent I am, in fact, religious."
  • In answer to the question, "Do you believe in immortality?" Einstein answered, "No. And one life is enough for me."
  • "The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle. To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly: this is religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I am a devoutly religious man."
  • "I believe in Spinoza's God, who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of all that exists, but not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind."
  • "There are people who say there is no God...But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views...What separates me from most so-called atheists is a feeling of utter humility toward the unattainable secrets of the harmony of the cosmos,"
  • "The fanatical atheists...are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who--in their grudge against traditional religion as the 'opium of the masses'--cannot hear the music of the spheres."
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Monday, April 09, 2007

Bizarro Rich/Religiously Rich/SoCoCo/Stereotypes/


(P1) Philosophical

Bizarro On the Wealthy -->

Wealth & Christianity

The following is from Nona Williams blog "Fish Wars"

A Time / SRBI Public Affairs poll reports that:

61% of Christians in the U.S. believe that God wants them to be financially prosperous.

31% also believe that if you give money to God, he will bless you with more money

21% believe material wealth is a sign of God's blessing

So, if you're poor, it's because God doesn't like you.

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(P2) Poetical


SoCoCo Poetry Readings

If you're near Santa Rosa on Thursday May 3d, please join me, Ed Coletti, as I begin hosting a new series of poetry readings I've conceived at

Sonoma Coffee Company
521 4 St
Santa Rosa, CA 95401-6323
Thursday May 3
7:30-9PM


Readers thus far scheduled include Richard Denner, Kathleen Winter, David Beckman, John Coletti, and Ed Coletti. John is from NYC and the famed Poetry Project at St. Marks in the Village. He also reads regularly in Boston and Philadelphia. I'm proud to call him my son. Should you be interested in reading that night, we have 2 or 3 more open slots. Otherwise, also contact me about future readings.

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(P2) Political


A. On the Ascendancy Of Money

Romney Reaps $20 Million to Top G.O.P. Rivals
Published: April 3, 2007



Never in my 63 years have I seen a campaign dominated neither by issues or popularity polling but rather by the race for dollars. Perhaps politics has finally devolved to the point at which a sort of perverse honesty has taken over, and the principals and the press are actually telling it the way it is. At least when it comes to money.




B.On Stereotypes

Recently, this was passed to me by a friend. Take a look and then see my reply in blue beneath:

AMIGOS E AMIGAS . . . !!!


DON'T FORGET TO PAY YOUR TAXES BY 15 APRIL !!!!

NINETEEN(19) MILLION ILLEGAL MEXICANS ARE DEPENDING UPON YOU !!!!

Senor McDave


Bob,

Because there are aspects (*) to this problem that are beyond the understanding of people like Senor McDave, I won't use the term "racist." But tell Senor McDave , whoever the hell he is, that I suspect all 19 million work a good deal harder than he does. But what do I know? Just as I don't know any of the "19 million," I don't know Senor McDave either. So I'm not going to do an argumentum ad hominum based upon stereotypes of either Mexicans or idiots. I'd appreciate your passing this on.

* Undocumented workers, in fact, are here. Why are they here? Almost overwhelmingly to work. They come here to support their families. So, (a), economic conditions ain't so good in Mexico, and (b) Corporations and other employers here are willing to hire them "illegally." But does our government enforce its own laws against hiring undocumented workers? Only for show as in the Swift meat packing plant raid in Chicago which was done mostly for the show of appearing to do something --like trotting out poor handcuffed unfortunates who were trying to earn a living. For the most part, however, this administration is NOT about stopping the practice but rather helping corporations maximize their bottom lines by paying the lowest wages possible to whomever will work for them --hence the undocumented worker.

If you, dear reader, truly want immigration reform, demand that your representatives seek to prosecute a few corporate executives from firms which hire illegally. Send a message that, when workers are paid adequately above the table, such problems won't exist anywhere near the way they now do.

Thanks,

Eddie C.

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Monday, April 02, 2007

CUSPS Revisited/Spring/Kiva/Trivia

(P1) Political

Edwards and Obama Tied For CUSPS Lead

Recall (Feb. 13th) that in the first CUSPS ("Coletti's Unabashedly Subjective Presidential Scale") I gave Barrack Obama a slight edge over John Edwards. Now they are in a tie. The reason why I have not given Edwards a clear lead is that my selection criteria involve both policy and electability. The position-oriented Edwards, in my estimation, currently surpasses all candidates in policy because he has clearly defined written positions on heath care, the environment, labor, and the war. However, Barrack remains the rock star especially within the younger echelons of his party.

As to Hillary Clinton, she has the money, mainstream party backing, and what I would call a "cynical stay-out-of-trouble" stance.

Here are my latest ratings based both upon the public good and electability" This time I've thrown in a few "pros" and "cons" as well:

John Edwards ( D-NC)
8 Excellent hard working well-researched thought on actual plans for health care, the environment, labor and the war. Has courage. Would be top choice. Has a way to go to overcome early Clinton and Obama starts. Making up ground.

Hillary Clinton (D-NY) 6 The Democratic front runner by virtue of name recognition, money, mainstream party support, and attempting to say nothing controversial. I believe her nomination could result in a Demo loss during a time when it should reap an easy win. Don't insult me by saying that I'm opposed "because she is a woman." She's the wrong woman. Either Madeline Albright or Nancy Pelosi would be infinitely better.

Barrack Obama (D-Illinois) 8 Still a strong ethical choice. Solid on issues including the war. Very serious thinker. More electable than Edwards at this point.

Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) 2 Perennial candidate and strongest liberal. Nothing wrong with his positions. Unelectable.

Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) 3 Strong Democratic and Liberal positions. Will have great difficulty catching on with the electorate.

Joe Biden (D-Delaware) 4 Intelligent and highly experienced especially in international policy. Had best hope for a cabinet or supreme court nomination. He gets himself into too much difficulty by being verbose.

Mike Gravel (D- Virginia) 2 Crusader for universal non-profit health care. Will be 78 at time of election.

John Mc Cain (R-Arizona) minus 1 History of courage and perseverance. But ultraconservative who flip flops to look good and generally ends up looking bad as a result. Detested even by his Republican Senate colleagues.

Rudy Giuliani (R- Ny) minus 2 Executive experience but also hair trigger temper/no diplomacy/by all accounts impossible to work with/overrated on security/one-day wonder.

Tommy Thompson (R-Wisc.) 1 Latecomer popular with conservatives. Experienced governor and health secretary. Some interest in health initiatives. Probably the wrong ones. May be a Republican "sleeper" and mainstream choice.

Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado) minus 4 Ultra conservative who fortunately has no chance of doing more than (by virtue of declaring "candidacy") forcing me to type his name here.

Ron Paul (R-PA) 0 Appeared on Bill Maher. More of a libertarian. Opposes the Civil War 1860-65 (seriously). Somewhat of a consistent thinker.

Mitt Romney (R-Mass) minus 2 I really have little understanding of this man and his confusing position shifts. Somehow he did get elected governor of Massachusetts, and his Mormonism surprisingly didn't stop him there. It will nationally, however.

Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) 2 Good guy image. Being minister may appeal to Christian voters - "social Christianity"- claims more interest in peoples' needs rather than fundamentalist agenda. Conservative who has long way to go with name recognition.

Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) minus279 Where to begin? I won't.

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(P2) Poetical

Another Spring

The seasons revolve and the years change
With no assistance or supervision.
The moon, without taking thought,
Moves in its cycle, full, crescent, and full.

The white moon enters the heart of the river;
The air is drugged with azalea blossoms;
Deep in the night a pine cone falls;
Our campfire dies out in the empty mountains.

The sharp stars flicker in the tremulous branches;
The lake is black, bottomless in the crystalline night;
High in the sky the Northern Crown
Is cut in half by the dim summit of a snow peak.

O heart, heart, so singularly
Intransigent and corruptible,
Here we lie entranced by the starlit water,
And moments that should each last forever

Slide unconsciously by us like water.

- Kenneth Rexroth


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(P3) Philosophical

Here's Something You and I Can Do To Stem Poverty and Divert Folks From Terrorism

The following is from a recent Nicholas Kristof column. You may find yourself motivated.

KABUL, Afghanistan

For those readers who ask me what they can do to help fight poverty, one option is to sit down at your computer and become a microfinancier.

That’s what I did recently. From my laptop in New York, I lent $25 each to the owner of a TV repair shop in Afghanistan, a baker in Afghanistan, and a single mother running a clothing shop in the Dominican Republic. I did this through www.kiva.org, a Web site that provides information about entrepreneurs in poor countries — their photos, loan proposals and credit history — and allows people to make direct loans to them.

To read the rest of the column, press here.

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Trivia Quiz

Who said?

"It is a quite special secret pleasure, how the people around us fail to realize what is really happening to them."


Put your answer here