Rove's Revisionism

http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/11/21/1/a-conversation-with-karl-rove

Last week, on CSPAN, I saw the interview with Karl Rove, including the part where he claimed that the primarily Republican Congress rather than the president created the momentum for commencing the Iraq War. I was struck by how incurious Charlie Rose was on this assertion. Most journalists would have pounced on this fat and rather lethargic rat of a lie. One of the best reconstructions of that time frame is in chapter 18 of Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack and also the president's speeches in October, 2002, most particulary the October 5th address to the nation. It is true that congressmen and journalists failed to critically assess the information that was available, going so far to not even read the National Intelligence Estimate. However, the authority to launch the attack was entirely within Bush's hands, and his rush to war will be a blot on his legacy forever.

With the perspective of time, I am now convinced that the war was initiated primarily for political reasons-- it was Bush/Karl believed a sure way of holding on to power-- and for psychological reasons-- Bush had an itch he had to scratch, perhaps a need to eclipse or rectify the failures of his father.

George Orwell said that "who controls the past controls the future." But, despite Rove's attack on history, it is clear that he no longer controls the past or the future.

Mohammed Bear

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article531449.ece

TERRIFIED teddy bear row teacher Gillian Gibbons was being held in a secret jail last night — after a 10,000-strong armed mob took to Sudan’s streets screaming: “Kill her, kill her.”

The Liverpool mum of two — convicted of insulting Islam by calling the bear Mohammed — was sneaked out of the capital Khartoum hours after being jailed for 15 days.

Fanatics demanding her execution by firing squad streamed out of mosques after prayers — grabbing machetes, knives and clubs.

Emails sent from the school to a sympathiser who was shocked at the teacher’s fate reveal a spiteful secretary was to blame. A senior member of staff said Unity High office assistant Sarah Khawad had meant to get HER into trouble.

They are an excitable people, aren't they? Teddy was a popular name at the turn of the last century. Calling the stuffed beast after Mohammed, a name used by many people from around the world, is a bit like calling it, um, Teddy Bear.

As a thought experiment and also in the interest in pouring oil on troubled waters, let's convene an ecumenical teddy bear picnic. How is this?


Mohammed Bear



Jesus Bear



Buddha Bear



Krishna Bear



But to complete our gala, why not have one more visitor, from Southern Sudan, who might be all too happy to have a Mohammed Bear?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict








villagevoice.com

Giuliani's Mistress Problem

A report posted on Politico.com Wednesday said that at the time when Giuliani was beginning an extramarital relationship with Judith Nathan, who eventually became his third wife, he billed obscure city agencies thousands of dollars for his police security detail covering trips to visit Nathan. But Giuliani insists that everything was done in the open, “honestly, honorably, above board.”

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3556684n

Only Giuliani could say that using pubic-- I mean public-- funding to enable his adulterous lifestyle was honorable and honest.

And then there is the other mistress. Last month, a federal grand jury indicted Bernard Kerik, Giuliani's police commisioner, on 16 counts. Kerik's mistress was Judith Regan, who recently sued the Murdock empire for $100 million dollars for getting dumped for the O.J. Simpson book "If I Did It". Here is a paragraph from Regan's lawsuit:

“In fact, a senior executive in the News Corporation organization told Regan that he believed she had information about Kerik that, if disclosed, would harm Giuliani’s presidential campaign. This executive advised Regan to lie to, and to withhold information from, investigators concerning Kerik.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/opinion/18rich.html?ref=opinion

Cherchez la femme is an old French phrase which literally means "look for the woman," and women that Giuliani or his handlers have loved or crossed will continue to dog his campaign.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/opinion/18rich.html?ref=opinion

Ben's Snowman

http://www.mymallandnews.com/snowman.ppt

Battle of the Little People

Quotations from the Florida CNN/YouTube Debate.

The strongest debaters were McCain and Paul, the former speaking with passion about torture and the later on foreign policy in spite of a hostile audience. The weakest were Giuliani and Romney, both of whom sounded weasally. Giuliani especially failed to throw the audience enough red meat nuttiness on gun rights, immigration, and abortion and embarrassed himself on a question about the Bible-- he was reticient to accept that there were dinosaurs on Noah's ark. Giuliani ducked and weaved and reminded me of a dyspeptic Manhatten tailor. Romney ducked and weaved and reminded me of the plastic guy you put on a wedding cake. Both of them had trouble looking each other in the eye. Grandpa Thompson, with his outrageous shar pei face, continues to scare me with his death to social security talk. The main whipping boys continued to be Hillary and the Islamo-fascists, which they still conflate. The most electric moment was when the audience hissed a former general for being gay. In all fairness, CNN violated the strict Republican limit of one non-hetro on stage at once by having Governor Charlie Crist introduce the clowns and Anderson question them.

This was an entertaining evening that also gave viewers such as myself insight into the candidates' policies and personalities.

Here is the transcript of the two hour debate.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/28/debate.transcript/

From out of the mouth of babes . . .

Giuliani : "You did have illegal immigrants at your mansion, didn't you?" Mitt usually criticizes people when he usually has the far worse record."


McCain: "We must recognize these are God's children as well. They need our love and compassion, and I want to ensure that I will enforce the borders first. But we won't demagogue it."

Thompson: "I wanted to give my buddies here a little extra air time."

Romney: "On abortion, I was wrong."

McCain: "Governor, let me tell you, if we're going to gain the high ground in this world ... we're not going to torture people. How in the world someone could think that that kind of thing could be inflicted on people who are in our custody is absolutely beyond me."

Paul: "I want to trade with people, talk with people, travel."

My Mom's MRSA

My eighty-nine year old mother, a strong Christian and former medical missionary, was again admitted to the hospital yesterday. For more than three years, she has suffered intense pain. I believe this is her sixth time to the hospital, and she has undergone surgery on at least four occasions. The problem seems to relate to venus stasis ulcers of the legs, which occur when the the enlarged vein doesn't provide adequate drainage of the skin through inadequate circulation. The treatment generally includes skin grafts, compression dressing, debridements, and frequent dressing changes plus antibiotics. The aggravating element is the introduction of the so-called super-bug methicillin-resistent staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and another bacteria as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRSA

What is most troubling to me is that it appears that the vector of this infection was most likely the hospital itself. I can understand limits to life and limits to science and medicine and that Christians aren't immune to pain. But I cannot understand failures by medical professionals in causalities that were discovered hundreds of years ago.

Anyway, my mother remains cheerful, hopeful, and strong in her faith as does my 91 year old father.

I'm sorry your mom is going through this at this time. It really sounds painful. Unfortunately, when someone gets MRSA once usually they are going to be put in isolation every time after that they are in the hospital. But, it is still easy to pass germs around in there. That is why most hospital employees are preached too regularly about hand washing and infection control. In the hospital I am in they also have to wear gowns and masks and gloves when seeing patients with MRSA. I would recommend that you be careful also when you visit.

Australian Prime Minister Dumped

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1294164,00.html

It's the Iraq War, stupid.

"Australian Prime Minister John Howard has suffered a humiliating election defeat and the opposition Labor Party has swept into power. Voters warmed to his promise to pull Australian troops out of Iraq and sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, further isolating the US, which had received strong backing from Mr Howard."

Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to agree with that and believe that Australians were actually jolted out of their apathy on this and grew a conscience in the broader sense, the Iraq war specifically had very little impact on the election.

Climate change had a significant role but mainly in that it fed into the overall impression that Howard had lost touch.

Howard nevertheless has his supporters. I was at a birthday party over the weekend. An elderly man with an Eastern European accent forcefully defended Howard's anti-Jihadist (it sounded more like anti-Moslem, however) policies. This may represent a sea change where Australia starts to orient itself more to China and South Asia and less to America and Great Britain. Of course, Bush has poisoned the Coalition of the Willing, most notably Tony Blair but also leaders of other countries, such as Poland and Spain, and so Howard is one more victim of the US's global unpopularity.

Oh, without doubt he has his supporters, a number of which support him based on his under the surface racism and anti-Islamism which he dog-whistles them on at regular intervals. This without doubt won him the election in 2001 when he elevated this to the centre of his campaign.

The difference this time around was that enough people saw through that and also that a large number of the lower/middle class voters who he captured with this attitude were so completely betrayed by his draconian anti-employee industrial relations changes that they could not be won over by fear. That's not to say that the Liberals (conservatives) didn't try fear, mainly through an economic fear campaign but in the last desperate days they turned to race. In an attempt to portray the Labor party as Muslim sympathisers a group of Liberals created bogus pamphlets from a non-existent Islamic group, with the Labor party logo, thanking Labor for supporting the 2002 Bali bombers and started to drop it in letterboxes in a very working-class suburb. They were caught red-handed in a sting worthy of Hollywood:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22806912-11949,00.html

Although senior officials denied prior knowledge it showed that playing on this fear is one of their tactics.

Van Der Werf Endodontics

One of the purposes of this site to to identify professionals or companies that either impress us or disappoint us as consumers.



One professional that impresses us and that we recommend is Ray Van Der Werf Endodontics in Mesa, Arizona.



My wife has endured more than a month of severe headaches stemming from her tooth, after receiving a crown. But, today, she is a new person. Dr. Ray Van Der Werf was gentle and professional, and his staff was knowledgable and friendly.



We could not be more satisfied. We recommend Van Der Werf Endodontics if you should ever need root canal work.

Here is another Wow! reference.

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&hl=en&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=Van+Der+Werf+Endodontics&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&cr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=images

Do You Want Hay or Straw?

Airline travel today. Article from the travel section of the New York Times, by Michelle Higgins, November 25th, 2007.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/travel/25conflict.html

Thus airlines are increasingly cutting back services in coach or charging passengers for things that used to be free, like meals ($5 for a snack box on United) or drinks ($2 for a 16-fluid-ounce bottle of water on Spirit) or, in the case of Delta, US Airways, Northwest and Continental, starting to use narrow-body planes more frequently on trans-Atlantic flights, making those long-haul flights more cost-effective, albeit at the expense of passenger comfort.

It’s all simple economics. In January, United removed half-ounce pretzel snack mixes from the economy section of flights that are less than two hours long, about 29 percent of its flights, to save what it says is about $650,000 a year. (Cutting out pretzels has reportedly saved Northwest $2 million a year.) Meanwhile, American has estimated that it would save $30 million a year by eliminating free meal service in coach. Last September, in a move that extinguished any hope of hot meals returning to coach, the airline removed the rear galleys — including the oven — from its MD-80 aircraft and replaced them with four seats. That change, the airline told The Washington Post, will be worth an additional $34 million a year. Overall, the amount of money the nine largest passenger carriers in the United States spend on food per passenger has been slashed to about $3.40 from $5.92 in 1992, according to the Department of Transportation.

And wonder why it’s almost impossible to get a pillow anymore? Again, it comes down to money. American has said it saved $300,000 when it removed pillows from its MD-80s in November 2004. In February 2005 it began removing pillows from 737s, 757s and Airbus 300s on nearly all flights within the continental United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico, with the airline explaining that the change saved it $600,000.

United says just 8 percent of its customers — the ones paying a premium for first and business class — generate 36 percent of passenger revenue. That’s why it is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade its first- and business-class cabins with lie-flat seating and other amenities across its entire international fleet of wide-body aircraft.

Industry analysts say that most airlines have rightly decided that it makes little economic sense to provide expensive perks to customers paying the lowest fares.

A Sunday Hike

The Ending of The Mist

Can someone tell me how Steven King's new movie The Mist ends? This bit of spoiler information seems to be shrouded in secrecy, and I abhor secrecy as I do death threats:

King: "Frank wrote a new ending that I loved. It is the most shocking ending ever and there should be a law passed stating that anybody who reveals the last five minutes of this film should be hung from their neck until dead."

If you really want to know what the end is, here you go. You've been warned.

Curt and Lori Drew and Megan

Yesterday, my youngest boy came home off the bus upset-- yet one more bullying incident. A number of years ago, a bully broke the collar bone of my oldest son. And when I was a kid, local toughs pursued me for fun and sport, including one who was knifed to death by yet another hood. It is hard to express the depth of my contempt to bullies, especially since we now know that many of the perpetrators of the school shootings are not the bullies but the bullied. So it is in this context that I read the Megan Meier story.

Here are the basic details.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Meier

The police report:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1120072megan1.html

From CNN:








Curt and Lori Drew, who pertrated this hoax that resulted in the suicide of Megan, will most likely never stand trial and if they do they will most likely never atone for their crime, given our legal systems deference to the First Amendment. But the court of public opinion is quite different and infinitely ruthless. And I suspect that the karma of the situation will make their life a living hell, a hounding from town and business. According to Wikpedia: "The Drews were targeted with vandalism, prank phone calls, paintball attacks and a "prank" call to the local police which led to "as many as 15 deputies [drawing] weapons and [charging] the home of Lori and Curt Drew," the people identified as the hoaxers. Due to the vehement public reaction, police added additional patrols to the neighborhood, and the Drews have installed a security camera." But, as Tribune columnist Leonard Pitts puts it, "I don't want to hurt or jail them. I just want them to know how funny that joke was. I want them healthy. I want them long lived. And I want them to be reminded, every day of their long, healthy lives, what a great joke they pulled."

Scorn and humiliation are punishment enough.

Personally, in all such cases - when people do terrible things to other people - although the practicality of the various legal punishments we have for offences is obvious, what I really want is to have people really understand what they've done.

I agree. But I'm not sure it's possible in this case. It looks like that public sentiment is ahead of the law, which appears to be impotent. There doesn't appear to be much interest in either the Drew family or the Meier family in trying to work through this, and frankly I'm not sure that they can, as it is so horrific. On one hand, it does appear to be a mean prank that had consequences the prankster never envisioned. However, it may well of been possible that Megan in her fragile state may have killed herself soon and inevitably, and that was merely the circumstances that pushed her over the edge. I don't think any one can really know for sure.

I have a hunch this story is just beginning.

Happy Thanksgiving

Last we, my wife and I both fed our cat turkey yummy bits that put the animal into a coma for a day-- too much tryptophan, I guess. We thought we had killed our pet!

Meanwhile, this is cute.

http://mymallandnews.bizland.com/index117.html

Faith

The scripture in Hebrews chapter eleven says faith is an evidence of things not seen or in other words, faith is the evidence of things not perceived by any of the human senses. However, it is true that just because something can’t be apparently perceived doesn’t mean the object in question is nonexistent. The reality of a thing is therefore not dependent on human perception. Moreover, the reality of a thing isn’t changed or affected by our merely believing in it or against it either.

What is Reality? Well, I think we can learn a lot about reality from the bible and Hebrews 11:3 sums it up very well I think. It says, “by faith we understand that the universe was formed by God’s command so that what is seen is not made by what is visible.” The verse says that the reality of physical things, the reality of our physical universe, was created God. This verse though is more specific than we tend to think in how God made it though. By implication this verse says that the universe was created by something invisible. I also learn that this invisible force is connected to God’s command.

I appreciate the thought you have invested in your essay. However, I'm not sure I completely agree with it, or perhaps I'm don't fully understanding what you are saying. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a bit like a piece of music that different people sing with different tunes. This is the way most people read this Hebrews 1:1:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Thus, the emphasis is on a feeling, belief, inutiion, or emotion --hope-- that may or may not be realized. And what is the target of that emotion? The answer is: things that are not seen. This puts the cart before the horse, in my view, as it makes faith essentially a passive act and humans essential are automota manipulated by a cosmic puppet-master , not unlike the subservient chicken.

http://www.subservientchicken.com/

So, in the minds of many Christians, faith is the antithesis of intelligence or commonsense or experience. It is the behavior of an infant to his mother, a puppy to his master, or a turkey awaiting the butcher's knive-- uncaring and oblivious but consumed with dumb, blind, mindless trust.

But that isn't the context of Hebews 11 at all. Note what follows.

"By faith Abel offered ...By faith Noah prepared k..By faith Abraham sojourned ..." and so on. All of these are acts of personal will-- good choices followed by good actions that were freely made in accordance to God's will.

Thus, the implicatioin is that faith relates less to one's state of mind than free will and free effort.

The emphasis I would place on this verse is as follows:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

What are things? It is anything-- things of this world and things not of this world. Well, how do we know what those things are and if they really are? How do we know that North Dakota exists, that the permanent record and the Loch Mess monster do not exist, that the landing on the moon was not fake, and that professional wrestling is fake? Why shouldn't we believe or disbelieve in The Flying Spaghett Monster?

The answer lies again in an act of will and courage, not unlike that taken by Abel, Noah, and Abraham, at first things, trying to discern through intellectual struggle and doubt the difference between the illusion of things and the substance and evidence of things. If I were to have a patron saint, it would have to be Thomas the Apostle. He is remembered for his incredulity when the other apostles announced Christ’s resurrection to him: “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and I put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) Eight days later, he made his act of faith. “Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou has believed,” Jesus said. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.” (John 20:29) So how do we know what is true? We start, as Thomas did, from a point—not of belief-- but of doubt. And from that doubt comes inquiry, the exacting search for facts, principles, and applications, and the exercise of logic and its implications. All of life conspires to trick us, to make us think that appearance is reality, that the shadow of things is the substance of things. The Bible asks that we be economical in our faith even in the world of politics: "Put not your faith in rulers, or in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation." (Psalm 146:3).

Doubt is especially important when it comes to foundational beliefs. Cults find fertile soil in mysticism and irrationality precisely because such cults discourage critical thinking and tough-minded rationality with their fallacious appeals. In the laboratory and the academia also, you must be ready. Someday, you may encounter a popular and smart teacher who eloquently bashes the “Xian myth.” He may even take a special interest in you. At such times in particular, you need to carefully weigh, think, and debate the issue through, and be prepared to disagree without being disagreeable. This mental engagement is needed where ever any argument is made—from professors or the pulpit, the media or your friends, and even what you are reading right now. And rationality and Christianity are not in opposition with each other, as the writings of Thomas Aquinas attest. In fact, as time goes by, you will see that rationality and doubts accords with faith much more so than does irationality and credulity. I would go so far as to say that irrationality and credulity are the enemy of faith.

Our Christmas Letter

We send out about 60 Christmas cards each year, trying to mail them out no later than the first week of December. I write the first draft and the rest of the family critiques it, making changes that are needed so that everyone is happy . We also include a photo as well, sometimes of all of us but this year only of the boys in front of our home.

The most difficult thing we find is how to cut from the list. It's time to get ruthless, cutting from it the boss who never gave me a raise or the brother to my first roommate. Generally, we send a card to anyone who sent us a card, unless we know that they are too old or sick to have sent us a card. I enjoy the hand-written missives that trickle and then flood in-- the fir-tree green and holly-berry red square envelopes with the snowmen and the Santas. If I hear, sometimes in a round-about way, that they don't like our letters, of course we scratch them from the lists with no regrets It's really the only time in the year where we get real mail, instead of the usual credit card bills, charitable appeals, and grocery ads. I eagerly await the snapshots or posed shots-- the little kids in the look-alike tarten vests and red ties, the spidery handwriting or the photoshopped letter.

Of the sixty of so cards we get, I think perhaps no more than ten contain letters. A card is nice, but it is the minutia of family events that I relish. What's not to like about halfback sons who rushed 2,000 yards for the season, promoted husbands, remodeled kitchens, legs broken skiing, poundcakes baked, and genius babies? I wouldn't call it bragging. I think of it more as a summing up, and op-ed letter on the year, a way to cast your memory back over the events of the last year.

You have nothing to say? Having something to say is overrated. You hate to write? Then write as you would talk. When I was in my early 20s, an aunt I had corresponded with for much of my life developed inoperable cancer. Not exactly knowing how to respond, I sent her a Hallmark card, for which she rebuked me and instead asked me for a real letter, a letter filled with the humdrum of my life. I tried to do that then and ever since I've tried to do the same with our Christmas letter.

So write as you would to a dear friend, perhaps someone you love who has only three months to live. Risk sentiment. Offer hope. Pretend that you only have three months to live. Write what you wish someone would say to you. Don't skimp on the ordinary. In these letters, as in life, it's the details that makes music to our ears.

And, after you've signed it, send me a copy!

Here is this year's Christmas letter:

Dear Family and Friends,

Ten years have come and gone since we left Chicago to move to Scottsdale. So much has happened, and we're grateful for our many blessings. For those of you who live far away, perhaps we can give you a glimpse of what Christmas at our home is like. So welcome. . . and come on in!

Ten years ago, our outside lawn was a lush green and the walls a stucco white. Now you will see the start of a desert-scape and a remodeled exterior with walls that are the color of a malted milk-shake. We began this project in the Spring, with a bulldozer knocking down walls and a construction crew building a slate patio with a built in grill. In our living room, we have our Christmas tree decked in twinkling lights and with ornaments that we've collected over the years and from around the country, each one bringing back a special memory. Facing the bright Arizona sun in the living room's wall is a century-old stained glass window that we used to have in IIllinois. As you walk into our kitchen, you'll smell monkey bread, a breakfast tradition that we enjoy on Christmas day before we open our gifts. And, amid the laughter and the chatter of our family, you'll hear in the background our favorite Christmas carols. Perhaps you'll hear this one:

Here we are as in olden days,

Happy golden days of yore,
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

But, this year, we break our tradition by celebrating Christmas in Florida with some of Nancy's family. It will be fun to see Nancy's sisters Kara and Kristin with her husband John and their four children. Spending Christmas at Disney World will be a treat for us all.

As always, this year has been a mix of the joyous and the sad. We were so sorry to hear of the deaths of Philip's cousins Curtis Wik, who helped host our family reunion last year, and his brother David Wik, Aunt Halley Nicholls, a distant cousin Paul Stahl, and Vern Smith, Zach's social studies teacher. We also remember Uncle Reynold Wik, who died a week before Christmas last year. Philip's mother Lucinda returned to the hospital several times this year for surgery. Age has also caught up with us with its new aches and pains as well as a stream of mailers from AARP-- enough to fuel a holly-jolly Christmas-eve fire.

On a lighter note, we watch with admiration as our boys are growing into young men with strong minds and character. Zach, 13, is now over six feet tall and enjoys working as a soccer referee at Mountain View park each Saturday. He recently was thrilled to buy a cell phone out of his earnings. In May, Zach went to Disneyland to play his trombone with over 100 classmates in the school band while Nancy accompanied as a chaparone. It's hard to believe that Ben was only a year old when we moved to Scottsdale. As a sixth grader in Cocopah Middle School, he enjoys playing the clairnet and likes his pre-algebra class. Ben also likes playing computer games and has fun with his friends on the block and at Mountain View Presbyterian Church.

Nancy's days are busy teaching (and learning from) two years olds at Best Pals and as an office assistant at Cochise Elementary School. In April, Nancy took the boys to Knottsberry Farm in California. "Dear Dad," Ben wrote on a postcard. "How's Kitty? Yesterday, I went on Xcelerator for the first time. I went on it eight times altogether." They also enjoyed Farmer's Market, the NBC Studios, and other interesting sites in southern California. In June, Philip visited his parents in Pennslvania. During that time, Patrick and Ryan, two-thirds of Kristin and John's triplets, stayed with Nancy, Zach, and Ben in Scottsdale, after they visted the O'Sheas in Chicago. They enjoyed downtown Chicago and Great America. A highlight of that trip was a visit to Wrigley Park to watch the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5. Nancy also enjoys participating in the annual Scottsdale Culinery Festival, managing the makeover of our home, and bicycling on the greenbelts that wind through golf courses and past lakes where we live.

Philip has started his third year at Boeing helicopter. His favorite things also include bicycling, going to musicals at ASU's Gammage Theatre, and watching the boys play touch football on Del Rubi from our porch-- with Nancy, of course. Philip especially liked visiting his parents in Pennslvania, and walks with Mom and Dad in Alverthorpe Park and Longwood Gardens hold special memories. It was also good to visit his sister and brothers and their families.
Although separated by the miles, this time of the year makes us feel a bit closer to our friends and family. And so our wish for you is that you will have yourself a merry little Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow,
Hang a shining star
Upon the highest bow
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now

Common Ground: A Challenge

A full page advertisement appeared in today's New York Times entitled "Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You. It is a response to 138 Muslim scholars and clerics who sent an open letter "to leaders of Christian churches, everywhere."

http://www.acommonword.com/

The following response was drafted by scholars at Yale Divinity School's Center for Faith and Culture, and is endorsed by 300 other Christian theologians and leaders. Some of the names I recognize include Richard Cizik, of the National Association of Evangelicals, Harvey Cox of the Harvard Divinity School, Bill Hybels of Willow Creek, Rick Warren of Saddleback and Jim Wallis of Sojourners, among many others.

Here are some excerpts, to give you the spirit of the letter:

"Preamble

"As members of the worldwide Christian community, we were deeply encouraged and challenged by the recent historic open letter signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals from around the world. A Common Word Between Us and You identifies some core common ground between Christianity and Islam which lies at the heart of our respective faiths as well as at the heart of the most ancient Abrahamic faith, Judaism. Jesus Christ’s call to love God and neighbor was rooted in the divine revelation to the people of Israel embodied in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). We receive the open letter as a Muslim hand of conviviality and cooperation extended to Christians world-wide. In this response we extend our own Christian hand in return, so that together with all other human beings we may live in peace and justice as we seek to love God and our neighbors.

"Muslims and Christians have not always shaken hands in friendship; their relations have sometimes been tense, even characterized by outright hostility. Since Jesus Christ says, “First take the log out your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye” (Matthew 7:5), we want to begin by acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the “war on terror”) many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbors. Before we “shake your hand” in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.

"Common Ground

"What is so extraordinary about A Common Word Between Us and You is not that its signatories recognize the critical character of the present moment in relations between Muslims and Christians. It is rather a deep insight and courage with which they have identified the common ground between the Muslim and Christian religious communities. What is common between us lies not in something marginal nor in something merely important to each. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God and loveof neighbor. Surprisingly for many Christians, your letter considers the dual command of love to be the foundational principle not just of the Christian faith, but of Islam as well. That so much common ground exists – common ground in some of the fundamentals of faith – gives hope that undeniable differences and even the very real external pressures that bear down upon us can not overshadow the common ground upon which we stand together. That this common ground consists in love of God and ofneighbor gives hope that deep cooperation between us can be a hallmark of the relations between our two communities.

"Love of Neighbor

"We find deep affinities with our own Christian faith when A Common Word Between Us and You insists that love is the pinnacle of our duties toward our neighbors. “None of you has faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself,” the Prophet Muhammad said. In the New Testament we similarly read, “whoever does not love [the neighbor] does not know God” (1 John 4:8) and “whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). God is love, and our highest calling as human beings is to imitate the One whom we worship.

"Since Muslims seek to love their Christian neighbors, they are not against them, the document encouragingly states. Instead, Muslims are with them. As Christians we resonate deeply with this sentiment. Our faith teaches that we must be with our neighbors – indeed, that we must act in their favor – even when our neighbors turn out to be our enemies. “But I say unto you,” says Jesus Christ, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Matthew 5:44-45). Our love, Jesus Christ says, must imitate the love of the infinitely good Creator; our love must be as unconditional as is God’s—extending to brothers, sisters, neighbors, and even enemies. At the end of his life, Jesus Christ himself prayed for his enemies: “Forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

"The Prophet Muhammad did similarly when he was violently rejected and stoned by the people of Ta’if. He is known to have said, “The most virtuous behavior is to engage those who sever relations, to give to those who withhold from you, and to forgive those who wrong you.” (It is perhaps significant that after the Prophet Muhammad was driven out of Ta’if, it was the Christian slave ‘Addas who went out to Muhammad, brought him food, kissed him, and embraced him.)

"The Task Before Us

“Let this common ground” – the dual common ground of love of God and of neighbor – “be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us,” your courageous letter urges. Indeed, in the generosity with which the letter is written you embody what you call for. We most heartily agree. Abandoning all “hatred and strife,” we must engage in interfaith dialogue as those who seek each other’s good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good. Indeed, together with you we believe that we need to move beyond “a polite ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders” and work diligently together to reshape relations between our communities and our nations so that they genuinely reflect our common love for God and for one another."

http://www.yale.edu/faith/abou-commonword.htm

I think the sentiments expressed and efforts for reconciliation are not merely worthwhile but even critical in the context of world events, and I would have no problem signing such a statement myself.
However, I wondered if such a statement of common principles could be drafted between theists and atheists, neither compromising their core principles but each each seeking to find productive common ground, a statement that Harris, Hitchens, Dawkins, and you as well as the signatories of the Yale statement could sign.

So that would be my challenge. What is the irreducable and indisputable common ground between theists and atheists?

Maybe it's because I'm a middle child, I try to find a middle ground before any two seemingly hostile world views. Thus, my common ground with paganism is a love for nature, with Mormonism a love for family, with Catholicism a love for tradition, and so on.

But even that subjectivizes more than I want. The question I'm asking is not what is my common ground with atheists, which is my admiration for doubt and argument. The question is: what is the common ground between theists and atheists. I don't even want to conditionize that presumed common ground by nationalism-- that the common ground of believer and unbeliever is the Consitution, for example. I am prepared, however, to accept the caveat that fanatics who give themselves labels of one kind or another will never concede that common ground can exist, so there must be some assumption of good will just as there was with the Muslim and Yale statements.

As I said, this is a challenge. But I would conceptualize the case as follows. First, I would ask: what is it that I have in common with-- to put a face on the discussion-- Richard Dawkins and Pope Benedict XVI, besides, in the former an Anglican upbringing and in the latter a love for cats? If we strip away their respective rhetoric, affiliations, and ideas, the factual answer must be: a great deal, and we know that without even knowing them very well. And what is that I presume we all know? It is firstly self-evident that they are humans, and that implies a commonality of physiology and psychology, the differences of which make them individuals but the similarities of which make them humans. They have blood, brains, kinships, and life-spans. It is secondly self-evident that they both possess an inner world, and this manifests itself in art, family ties and friendships, dreams, ambitions, speculation on ethics, interests in politics and literature, and so on. Again, the differences that are manifested here make them respectively individuals but the similarities provide at least the start of the recognition that despite ideological differences we have more in common than we have do not have in common.

I might also suggest that any striving for common ground begins by dispensing with theology, metaphysics, and god-talk of any kind, not because many people don't find that important, but because such language are reasons for articulating differences that divide us. (On the other hand, I think it may be possible to identify common or transcending ethical principles, so long as those principles are not conditioned in religion, faith, or the law. But as a practical matter, this raises complex philosophical issues, that probably cannot be reduced to a single statement.)

Finally, I may end with the premises that I originally proposed-- that the search for common ground is a journey that can only be undertaken given fundamental assumptions by all concerned of goodwill, communication, and rationality, the inability or the denial of which renders such an exercise as futile.

And, of course, there is this.

http://www.cracked.com/article_15663_god-fuse-10-things-christians-atheists-can-agree-on.html

Anti-GOP Posters and Slogans

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/a-huffpost-project-poste_b_72899.html

The result is three powerful posters that simply but graphically capture the lunacy of the modern GOP. "Here is my thinking," Silverstein told me, "What if we could TiVo the last six-plus years and play them back - without comment -- for the American people, and let them connect the dots? It's not a pretty picture." Silverstein's take away message is uncluttered and direct: "Haven't we had enough? Democrats '08."

Some more comments:

W.RATHFUL WEAKLING
W.OEFUL FAKE
W.ORTHLESS SON
W.ILLFUL LIAR
W.RETCHED FAILURE
W.ARRANTLESS SNOOP
W.ORSE PRESIDENT EVER

SLOGANS

The Pottery Barn Rule
Reality-Based Community Faith-Based Presidency
The CEO President
The One Percent Doctrine
Animal House in the West Wing
I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.
It is my style. New Orleans Evacuees: This is working very well for them.
Just a goddamned piece of paper.

EVENTS

A blind man in a room full of deaf people.
Office of Special Plans

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7756/imagemsq5.jpg

Hillary, Hillary, Hillary

The primaries are basically the battle of competing narratives. We have the narrative-- the accepted wisdom-- that Hillary is the inevitable candidate and perhaps should be crowned anytime now. There are other narratives-- that she is the nut-cracking Wicked Witch of the West (or at least Whitewater), cackling from some coven populated with feminanzis.

Because Hillary is the ostensible Democratic front runner, she naturally is the target of the most intense questions both from the moderator and from other candidates.

I think most Americans are trying to size up Hillary and what they see is kind of a layer cake-- the historic-- the first women president potentially-- the Machivellian-- a disingenuous control freak-- the intellectual-- someone who is in command of the forest and the trees of policy-- the experiential-- someone who can hit the ground running with her years in the background from another White House administration, the human-- someone with the same mix of uncertainties, ambitions, and ideals that all politicans have and so on.

I think Clinton has been savvy in avoiding what I think would be a grave political mistake, portray a vote for her as some kind of feminist or feminine litmus test. I think it is rubbish to think that there is a "powder room vote"-- a collection of political sympathies that are unique to women only. Certainly, India, Israel, England, Germany, and many other countries have no problem with leaders who are women, and the United States I suspect is no exception, given the right candidate and cirumstances. Perhaps, the reticence of Americans to have women leaders has its roots in the male-centric religions that dominate America. Whatever the cause, gender no longer seems to have much weight in determining whether or not someone should lead the country. Our popular and pragmatic governor in Arizona for example is Janet Napolitano. What is important is character and competence-- the same standard that you would choose in determing who should be your family dentist or doctor.

My own sympathies are presently with the other candidates, but Hillary in my opinion is to be preferred over any Republican candidate.

Trapping Cats

Our local Arizona paper includes a "sound off" column that allows people to vent about anything. Here is what one person said:

"Cats are not considered domesticated animals. They are considered predatory animals by law. This means they can be freely trapped if they are on your property. I do believe that people should be humane. By the way, they can be disposed of as you see fit, although poisoning cats or shooting them within the city limits is a no-no. I do happen to know of people who have gotten so fed up that they have humanely trapped the cats, taken them out to the desert, shot them in the head humanely and disposed of their bodies. You may not like this, but that's the facts of life as far as the laws go."

Putting aside the obvious emotions this opinion arouses, I wonder if the author's understanding of the law and also his characterization of pet cats as being non-domesticated and predatory is accurate. He clearly is talking not about feral or wild cats, but people's pets. It seems to me that this would be analogous to someone who killed a horse for no other reason than that horse trespassed. The cat or the horse represent property belonging to someone, and the destruction of that property would be grounds for legal action-- not just for the loss of the property that is the pet but also the anguish such actions took. But I'm no lawyer. So, I would be interested in hearing from someone who does know the law in this situation.

Remember, intentionally killing a cat is a crime in all 50 states, and anti-cruelty laws apply to all cats, pet, abandoned, lost, and feral.

Incarnation of Hanuman Running Amok

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071117080843.ql8szd19&show_article=1

"Troupes of monkeys are out of control in India's northeast, stealing mobile phones and breaking into homes to steal soft drinks from refrigerators, lawmakers in the region have complained.

"Last month, the deputy mayor of Delhi died when he fell from his balcony after being attacked by monkeys.

"Efforts to drive out the animals is complicated by the fact that devout Hindus view them as an incarnation of Hanuman, the monkey god who symbolises strength."

Hope Starts With Me

I joined several thousand people on a five kilometer non-competitive Making Strides Against Breast Cancer hike at Tempe Beach Park to raise awareness and money. Here are some snaps I took of the event.

Intelligent Pastaferianism

How can your allow Intelligent Design in the public schools and not set aside some time for us Pastaferians?

http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/

Steve Ballmer Apes Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc

Boycotting The Golden Compass

I got this e-mail today.

My hunch: It's an attempt by the TGC publicity department to generate buzz. I saw a trailer for it last week, and it looks like its going to need all the buzz it can get.

For anyone with kids, grandkids other relatives or friends who this may concern, I have checked it out at snopes.com and it is true.

"The Golden Compass" - Theatrical Release Date: 12/07/2007

All,

There will be a new children's movie out in December called "The Golden Compass". The movie has been described as "atheism for kids" and is based on the first book of a trilogy entitled "His Dark Materials" that was written by Phillip Pullman. Pullman is a militant atheist and secular humanist who despises C. S. Lewis and the "Chronicles ofNarnia". His motivation for writing this trilogy was specifically to counteract Lewis' symbolisms of Christ that are portrayed in the Narnia series. Clearly, Pullman 's main objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that "my books are about killing God." He has even stated that he wants to "kill God in the minds of children". It has been said of Pullman that he is "the writer the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed." While "The Golden Compass" movie itself may seem mild and innocent, the books are a much different story. In the trilogy, a young streetwise girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle to ultimately defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as "a very powerful and convincingmistake." In the final book, characters representing Adam and Eve eventually kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH. Each book in the trilogy gets progressively worse regarding Pullman 's hatred of Jesus Christ."The Golden Compass" is set to premier on December 7, during the Christmas season, and will probably be heavily advertised. Promoters hope that unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the movie, that they will enjoy the movie, and that the children will want the books for Christmas.

Please consider a boycott of the movie and the books. Also, pass this information along to everyone you know. This will help to educate parents, so that they will know the agenda of the movie.

The curious thing is that C.S. Lewis had more than a few ideas that would annoy some Christians. Take for example in The Last Battle where Aslan encounters a Calorman, somewhat equivalent to a Moslem. He says:

"Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons as my great desire for wisdom and understanding I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One, and said: Lord, is it then true as the Ape said that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said: It is false. Not because he and I are one, but becasue we are opposites, I take to me the services that thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds, that no service that is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swears by Tash and keeps his oath for the oaths' sake it is by me that he has truly sworn though he know it not and it is I who reward him, and if any man do a cruelty in my name then though he says the name 'Aslan' it is Tash whom he serves and it is by Tash that his deed is accepted."

Lewis' friend and fellow Christian JRR Tolkein felt that the allegories diminished the series. Personally, I think it works, not so much of the allegories to his religion as echoes to other stories and myths, as was true with Tolkein's writings, of course.

Well, actually, we do believe we're worshipping the same deity as Christians. We just think the Son and Holy Spirit bits are additional false deities.

Correct. Genesis 16 has Abram (Abraham), at the age of 86, sire Ishmael, the progenitor of the Arabs, so it is claimed. At the age of 99, he sired Isaac, the progenitor of the Jews, both creating separate nations. So, from a Jewish and Islamic perspective, both share the same God, which evolves into the triniterianism of those Christians who no longer share the monotheism of their spiritual ancestors. Thus, there is according to the Bible but one God.

And also that Christians' god was akin to a kindly and magnificent lion and their own god was akin to an evil man-eating vulture.Yes, that would be problematic in even the most liberal Muslim's theology, I daresay.

But not to Hindu theology where the vulture and its victim, good and evil, life and death, are all inseperable in the rhythm and essence of existence.

It still seems to leave out atheists, though. It seems Lewis approved of good, decent people who happened to worship the wrong god, but he disapproved of good, decent people who worshipped nothing.Wasn't there a slam against the arrogance of atheists in the last book? I half-remember something about dwarves stubbornly wandering in the dark forever."

I think Lewis was suggesting that ethics trumps religion-- that goodheartedness trumps worship. I'm sure there are all kinds of interpretations as to what Lewis meant, and I'm not sure that even Lewis knows what he "meant"-- or if there is necesserily a meaning. At one level, after all, he was simply writing a book for kids as informed by his deep knowledge of mythology and the classics. I do know that he had an infatuation with Platonism, and perhaps that is how to interpret the dwarf episode, rather than a slam against atheists. In the last book, the kids run into a bunch of dwarfs who believe they are in a dark smelly stable rather than in a meadow on a bright sunny day. This is also played in the last few pages where the kids find out that back in England their parents have died. "There was a real railroad accident," said Aslan softly. "Your father and mother and all of you are-- as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands-- dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning." The interesting thing is that in the last years of his life after the death of his wife Joy Gresham, Lewis developed a crisis of faith, deep-seated doubts that there really was any other world than the shadowlands, evolving from the sterile apologetics that "pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world" to "we can't have the happiness of yesterday without the pain of today. That's the deal."