Just one reason among oh-so-many. I could make you a list. U.K., U.S., makes no difference.
Teach 'the pleasure of gay sex' to children as young as five, say researchers
Maybe I'm being too close-minded; after all, they use puppet shows as part of the "desexualization" discussions. Little kids like puppets.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
RFID to the Rescue
If this story isn't disturbing to you, it's only because you're looking at it as an isolated event. I would encourage you instead to take the time to put it in context with everything else going on in the United States. If you can unplug yourself from the noise of the world and do that, you will see this for what it really is; an integral part of a much larger whole, and a single step in a journey that is only just beginning.
Chipping away at border wait
Is something very similar to this written in the pages of What So Proudly We Hailed?
Yes.
And in that story, did the people of the United States welcome it also?
Yes.
And did they eventually come to regret it?
Oh, yes. Very much so.
But by then it was too late.
Chipping away at border wait
Is something very similar to this written in the pages of What So Proudly We Hailed?
Yes.
And in that story, did the people of the United States welcome it also?
Yes.
And did they eventually come to regret it?
Oh, yes. Very much so.
But by then it was too late.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Allow Me to Set Your Expectations . . .
One of the things in my past life that I always tried my best to do was to set people’s expectations. Whether in my job as a salesman or as a manager, I would “prime” people upfront about what to expect later on. It’s a very simple “no surprises” philosophy, and it saved me from many an uncomfortable situation. Nobody likes an unwanted surprise.
A problem exists, however, because what people’s expectations are set for depends almost entirely on the one(s) who sets it for them. In other words, you can make people accept something that they wouldn’t ordinary do simply by getting the thought into their head before it happens. After that, it's all but a self fulfilling prophecy.
Here’s an example:
There is a terrible terrorist attack on our country. Those in power set the expectation that we will, from that point on, be (forever) hunting down terrorists. Several years go which allow us to become acclimated to the new policies, organizations, and procedures that are swiftly implemented in this “new, post 9/11” world in which we live. We are all aware about this.
Earlier this year, racial profiling targeted at people who look Middle-Eastern – something that was an abhorrent concept to American civil liberties even in the wake of 9/11 – became legitimatized in our quest to find these vaporous terrorists, even though there seems to be a pronounced shortage of actual acts of terrorism in America. You may or may not be aware about that, and even if you were, you probably didn’t think much about it because it didn’t apply to you.
Now that racial profiling of people who look Muslim has become acceptable, the expectations are now being set to get us ready for what’s going to happen next, which as it turns out, is that everyone will be a potential terrorist: Next U.S. Terror Attack Could Be By White Guys
Well now, that pretty much covers the board, doesn’t it? Remember too, we’ve already made the commitment to hunt them down.
Is this all just paranoia? You tell me. Read the below news articles – they’re all real - and then tell yourself that you don’t see a common theme when you look at them together, either in things that are already happening or in things where the expectations of us all are being manipulated so that we won’t be surprised later on.
GM crops 'the only way to feed world' says agri expert (I especially like where he presents it as "one way or the other"; no third option available. Also nice to know that "GM crops have been accepted in most of the Americas". Not by me.)
Not feeling afraid? We can fix that: School Shooting Drill Terrifies Unknowing Teachers
Mandatory Microchipping In Adopted Pets (This is already "voluntary" for people now. I'm sure they'll never make it mandatory.)
Clones' offspring may be in food supply: FDA (May be in your food. We're not real sure)
Purses Banned At School (To quote them, a "bold" move. I actually had another word in mind, but good taste prevents me from sharing it.)
Park attendants ordered to interrogate adults spotted without children (This is in the UK, but does it really make a difference?)
It is Illegal to Collect Rain Water in the USA (Definitely in Utah, anyway.)
Do you need more? You can find plenty at http://www.roguegovernment.com/. Help yourself.
A problem exists, however, because what people’s expectations are set for depends almost entirely on the one(s) who sets it for them. In other words, you can make people accept something that they wouldn’t ordinary do simply by getting the thought into their head before it happens. After that, it's all but a self fulfilling prophecy.
Here’s an example:
There is a terrible terrorist attack on our country. Those in power set the expectation that we will, from that point on, be (forever) hunting down terrorists. Several years go which allow us to become acclimated to the new policies, organizations, and procedures that are swiftly implemented in this “new, post 9/11” world in which we live. We are all aware about this.
Earlier this year, racial profiling targeted at people who look Middle-Eastern – something that was an abhorrent concept to American civil liberties even in the wake of 9/11 – became legitimatized in our quest to find these vaporous terrorists, even though there seems to be a pronounced shortage of actual acts of terrorism in America. You may or may not be aware about that, and even if you were, you probably didn’t think much about it because it didn’t apply to you.
Now that racial profiling of people who look Muslim has become acceptable, the expectations are now being set to get us ready for what’s going to happen next, which as it turns out, is that everyone will be a potential terrorist: Next U.S. Terror Attack Could Be By White Guys
Well now, that pretty much covers the board, doesn’t it? Remember too, we’ve already made the commitment to hunt them down.
Is this all just paranoia? You tell me. Read the below news articles – they’re all real - and then tell yourself that you don’t see a common theme when you look at them together, either in things that are already happening or in things where the expectations of us all are being manipulated so that we won’t be surprised later on.
GM crops 'the only way to feed world' says agri expert (I especially like where he presents it as "one way or the other"; no third option available. Also nice to know that "GM crops have been accepted in most of the Americas". Not by me.)
Not feeling afraid? We can fix that: School Shooting Drill Terrifies Unknowing Teachers
Mandatory Microchipping In Adopted Pets (This is already "voluntary" for people now. I'm sure they'll never make it mandatory.)
Clones' offspring may be in food supply: FDA (May be in your food. We're not real sure)
Purses Banned At School (To quote them, a "bold" move. I actually had another word in mind, but good taste prevents me from sharing it.)
Park attendants ordered to interrogate adults spotted without children (This is in the UK, but does it really make a difference?)
It is Illegal to Collect Rain Water in the USA (Definitely in Utah, anyway.)
Do you need more? You can find plenty at http://www.roguegovernment.com/. Help yourself.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Place I Call Home
Note: I wrote the following article for an upcoming issue of "Back Home in Kentucky" magazine, which appears below in its original, unedited form. I thought it turned out pretty nice.
It’s a beautiful day for a drive.
You’re an hour or so south of Lexington when you cross yet another county line. You didn’t catch the name of it as you went by, but you’re keenly aware that something has just changed. The air feels different somehow.
The top is down, your sunglasses are on, and the breeze rushing past has become pleasantly cool as you maneuver your way down this quiet country road. The faint buzz of cicadas far away on the wind and the sweet smell of fresh cut hay melt away your cares, working together like a tempting siren’s song to lead you deeper into uncharted territory.
You suddenly realize that you’ve lost track of time, and the thought doesn’t bother you at all.
Fields of corn and tobacco stretch out in pockets from the edge of the road to the lush, rolling hills in the distance on either side. You briefly wonder what it would be like to have a home on top of those hills, and then feel a tinge of envy as you see that some people already know.
Everywhere you look, rippling creeks cut their meandering paths under the cover of Maples and Black Walnuts, and quiet dirt roads branch off through the shade of the trees, holding their secrets close.
There are horses and cattle here; black barns & fence. But while the houses & farms may betray the presence of man, the unbridled beauty of it all continues to assault your senses. Your mind is consumed with thoughts that have been absent for years, and they now feel like long lost friends as you welcome them back and become reacquainted: Space. Tranquility. Beauty. Peace.
Around a curve, over a hill, and you find yourself in a quiet little town boldly proclaiming the name of “Liberty”, and the feeling of freedom you now carry with you confirms that it could be called nothing else.
You stare astonished at the hundreds gathered in the park; scores of parents proudly cheering their children as they play ball on every available field of dreams. Your journey takes you by well kept homes – the newer additions mixed in comfortably with the monuments of days long past – and the backyards and porch swings lead you deeper yet toward the center of this town whose skyline is dominated by trees, church steeples, and American flags, and whose veterans are remembered with a wall and a fountain and a Liberty Bell of their own.
At the center of downtown you finally come to a stop at one of only 3 traffic lights in the entire county, and you imagine how your friends back home might laugh about that. But you’re not laughing.
Instead, you’re transported back in time; 50 years, 75 years, 100 years, more. The buildings announce their births from the days of gas streetlamps, and as you stare at the courthouse that was standing long before the first Sunday drive ever took place, the asphalt suddenly disappears before your eyes, the power lines vanish, and the dirt streets that now lay before you become crowded with the bustle of horses and wagons and people from a time long forgotten.
With a start you realize that the light has turned green, though when it did you’re not sure; no one is honking their horn.
Reluctantly, you proceed through the crossroads, and in a flash the town disappears behind you, to be replaced with a cool, winding stretch of road nestled in the hills as it follows the lazy path of the Green River. The late afternoon sun dances over you through the leaves, and you know you could stay here forever.
All too soon though, you find yourself crossing the county line out of this place, and you feel a heaviness and a deep sense of loss as the cares of your world come back to you. You pull the car to the side, turn off the engine, open the door and stand, trying to make sense of it all.
And then a sound you never expected catches your ear, and you look up in amazement to see a black buggy coming towards you on the road, the soft clip-clop of horse’s hooves gently overcoming the faint ticking of your cooling engine. The Amish driver gives you a silent nod as he passes. You nod back. And as you continue to watch him move slowly off into the distance behind you, your eye sees the sign bearing the name of this realm you’ve just left: Casey County.
With the quiet of the evening once again wrapping you in its peaceful embrace, you realize that your original destination doesn’t seem so important anymore, and as you get back in your car you feel the smile returning to your face as you turn around to head back the other way.
It’s a beautiful day for a drive.
It’s a beautiful day for a drive.
You’re an hour or so south of Lexington when you cross yet another county line. You didn’t catch the name of it as you went by, but you’re keenly aware that something has just changed. The air feels different somehow.
The top is down, your sunglasses are on, and the breeze rushing past has become pleasantly cool as you maneuver your way down this quiet country road. The faint buzz of cicadas far away on the wind and the sweet smell of fresh cut hay melt away your cares, working together like a tempting siren’s song to lead you deeper into uncharted territory.
You suddenly realize that you’ve lost track of time, and the thought doesn’t bother you at all.
Fields of corn and tobacco stretch out in pockets from the edge of the road to the lush, rolling hills in the distance on either side. You briefly wonder what it would be like to have a home on top of those hills, and then feel a tinge of envy as you see that some people already know.
Everywhere you look, rippling creeks cut their meandering paths under the cover of Maples and Black Walnuts, and quiet dirt roads branch off through the shade of the trees, holding their secrets close.
There are horses and cattle here; black barns & fence. But while the houses & farms may betray the presence of man, the unbridled beauty of it all continues to assault your senses. Your mind is consumed with thoughts that have been absent for years, and they now feel like long lost friends as you welcome them back and become reacquainted: Space. Tranquility. Beauty. Peace.
Around a curve, over a hill, and you find yourself in a quiet little town boldly proclaiming the name of “Liberty”, and the feeling of freedom you now carry with you confirms that it could be called nothing else.
You stare astonished at the hundreds gathered in the park; scores of parents proudly cheering their children as they play ball on every available field of dreams. Your journey takes you by well kept homes – the newer additions mixed in comfortably with the monuments of days long past – and the backyards and porch swings lead you deeper yet toward the center of this town whose skyline is dominated by trees, church steeples, and American flags, and whose veterans are remembered with a wall and a fountain and a Liberty Bell of their own.
At the center of downtown you finally come to a stop at one of only 3 traffic lights in the entire county, and you imagine how your friends back home might laugh about that. But you’re not laughing.
Instead, you’re transported back in time; 50 years, 75 years, 100 years, more. The buildings announce their births from the days of gas streetlamps, and as you stare at the courthouse that was standing long before the first Sunday drive ever took place, the asphalt suddenly disappears before your eyes, the power lines vanish, and the dirt streets that now lay before you become crowded with the bustle of horses and wagons and people from a time long forgotten.
With a start you realize that the light has turned green, though when it did you’re not sure; no one is honking their horn.
Reluctantly, you proceed through the crossroads, and in a flash the town disappears behind you, to be replaced with a cool, winding stretch of road nestled in the hills as it follows the lazy path of the Green River. The late afternoon sun dances over you through the leaves, and you know you could stay here forever.
All too soon though, you find yourself crossing the county line out of this place, and you feel a heaviness and a deep sense of loss as the cares of your world come back to you. You pull the car to the side, turn off the engine, open the door and stand, trying to make sense of it all.
And then a sound you never expected catches your ear, and you look up in amazement to see a black buggy coming towards you on the road, the soft clip-clop of horse’s hooves gently overcoming the faint ticking of your cooling engine. The Amish driver gives you a silent nod as he passes. You nod back. And as you continue to watch him move slowly off into the distance behind you, your eye sees the sign bearing the name of this realm you’ve just left: Casey County.
With the quiet of the evening once again wrapping you in its peaceful embrace, you realize that your original destination doesn’t seem so important anymore, and as you get back in your car you feel the smile returning to your face as you turn around to head back the other way.
It’s a beautiful day for a drive.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
News You Can't Use
Good afternoon ladies & gentlemen! We start this edition of “News You Can’t Use” with this gem:
White House Missing as Many as 225 Days of Email
Well, let’s just file this one under “isn’t that convenient”. At least they gave the dead horses of “executive privilege” and “national security” a well deserved break. In all actuality, this should be illegal, because it is for a lot of other folks. Here’s why:
The Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002 (SOX) was legislation that came out of the numerous corporate scandals involving Enron, Tyco, etc. I’m not expert on SOX, but one of the things that it requires is that companies be able to provide email records if audited or face criminal prosecution (see the fine print below).
I only know this because back in 2005 when I worked for VERITAS Software (later Symantec), when the deadlines for meeting SOX requirements were looming, the big thing everyone was asking about was our email archiving solution, Enterprise Vault, which had already been in existence for years. The short & long of it is, companies were required to be able to recover emails, and solutions existed (even way back then) that enabled them to do that. For the government to say that they “lost” 225 days of email reeks of 1) incompetence, or 2) corruption. That we would tolerate either in the Office of the President is simply a bad reflection on us.
Sarbanes-Oxley, however, only applies to public corporations, but if we require this of public companies, should we not also require it of the U.S. Government in general and the White House in particular?
Criminal Penalties for Violation of SOX: Section 802(a) of the SOX, 18 U.S.C. § 1519 states: “Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States or any case filed under title 11, or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter or case, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.”
On to story #2, (not to be confused with certain bodily functions that share that designation). Since we’re already on the subject of incompetence, here’s a sweet dish from those fine folks at the Department of Homeland Security who continually assure us that they can protect us if only we give them every civil right we own:
FEMA phones hacked; calls made to Mideast, Asia
I feel so safe. Don’t you?
And the best for last . . . . You don’t even have to read this one; the title tells you everything you need to know. Without a doubt, this is a man who is “in touch” with the trials & tribulations of the everyday American.
McCain unsure how many houses he owns
Well, that’s the news folks! Good night, and good luck. (You're gonna need it.)
White House Missing as Many as 225 Days of Email
Well, let’s just file this one under “isn’t that convenient”. At least they gave the dead horses of “executive privilege” and “national security” a well deserved break. In all actuality, this should be illegal, because it is for a lot of other folks. Here’s why:
The Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002 (SOX) was legislation that came out of the numerous corporate scandals involving Enron, Tyco, etc. I’m not expert on SOX, but one of the things that it requires is that companies be able to provide email records if audited or face criminal prosecution (see the fine print below).
I only know this because back in 2005 when I worked for VERITAS Software (later Symantec), when the deadlines for meeting SOX requirements were looming, the big thing everyone was asking about was our email archiving solution, Enterprise Vault, which had already been in existence for years. The short & long of it is, companies were required to be able to recover emails, and solutions existed (even way back then) that enabled them to do that. For the government to say that they “lost” 225 days of email reeks of 1) incompetence, or 2) corruption. That we would tolerate either in the Office of the President is simply a bad reflection on us.
Sarbanes-Oxley, however, only applies to public corporations, but if we require this of public companies, should we not also require it of the U.S. Government in general and the White House in particular?
Criminal Penalties for Violation of SOX: Section 802(a) of the SOX, 18 U.S.C. § 1519 states: “Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States or any case filed under title 11, or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter or case, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.”
On to story #2, (not to be confused with certain bodily functions that share that designation). Since we’re already on the subject of incompetence, here’s a sweet dish from those fine folks at the Department of Homeland Security who continually assure us that they can protect us if only we give them every civil right we own:
FEMA phones hacked; calls made to Mideast, Asia
I feel so safe. Don’t you?
And the best for last . . . . You don’t even have to read this one; the title tells you everything you need to know. Without a doubt, this is a man who is “in touch” with the trials & tribulations of the everyday American.
McCain unsure how many houses he owns
Well, that’s the news folks! Good night, and good luck. (You're gonna need it.)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
"This Is Not 1968"
An Associated Press news article today states that "President Bush put the U.S. more firmly than ever on Georgia's side in its conflict with Russia on Wednesday, sending humanitarian aid on American military planes to help the embattled ex-Soviet republic and displaying growing impatience with Moscow's aggression".
"Moscow's agression". That's interesting. Wasn't it Georgia who was the aggressor here in starting this whole thing by invading South Ossetia?
The article later quotes Condoleezza Rice as saying "This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it," Rice said just hours before leaving for France. "Things have changed."
She's right, things have changed. This is 2008 and the invasion of Iraq where the United States can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it. Apparently Russia didn't get the email.
Talk about "do as I say, not as I do". At least Russia had a valid reason for attacking.
"Moscow's agression". That's interesting. Wasn't it Georgia who was the aggressor here in starting this whole thing by invading South Ossetia?
The article later quotes Condoleezza Rice as saying "This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it," Rice said just hours before leaving for France. "Things have changed."
She's right, things have changed. This is 2008 and the invasion of Iraq where the United States can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it. Apparently Russia didn't get the email.
Talk about "do as I say, not as I do". At least Russia had a valid reason for attacking.
Monday, August 11, 2008
When It's Okay to Be Lied To
from Yahoo Sports News . . .
"If you watched the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, chances are you said something like, "no way that's possible" at least once. It turns out you were right.
London's Telegraph newspaper reports that some of the fireworks which appeared over Beijing during the television broadcast of the Olympic Opening Ceremony were actually computer generated." Whole article here.
* * *
Definition of "Deceive": to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid (from mirram-webster.com)
Is deception on a mass scale acceptable as long as it was done in the interests of “safety”? Does the fact that it was done for entertainment purposes make it okay?
Does anyone think that something like this couldn’t happen in the United States? Could the same type of deception one day cross over the line from “entertainment” into “news” and "public servcie announcements"? Would any of us realize it if it did?
And does it matter that I had it backwards?
excerpt from What So Proudly We Hailed . . .
(United States, 2027 A.D.)
It was three days after July 4th, when A.J. and I had watched the celebration in Washington DC on television and saw the fireworks and the flag waving and the reading of important sounding words that didn’t mean anything anymore and the vehement assurances to all patriotic Americans that progress was being made in the war on terrorism, both foreign and domestic.
The wide angle cameras showed the Mall area overflowing with thousands of people, but the close in shots stayed in tight on the podium during the speeches and songs, showing only the stage and the first few rows of people.
I heard from a reliable source that there were only about 200 actual people at the Mall that day; paid actors for all I know. The crowds that were shown in the long views were all computer animated, and the applause and cheering that came over the TV was canned.
The fireworks had been real, though.
* * *
My mother had a saying that she often recited as I was growing up: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." A little hokey maybe, but apt.
Deception is deception; if it becomes acceptable anywhere, it becomes acceptable everywhere.
. . . choose this day whom you will serve . . . (Joshua 24:15)
"If you watched the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, chances are you said something like, "no way that's possible" at least once. It turns out you were right.
London's Telegraph newspaper reports that some of the fireworks which appeared over Beijing during the television broadcast of the Olympic Opening Ceremony were actually computer generated." Whole article here.
* * *
Definition of "Deceive": to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid (from mirram-webster.com)
Is deception on a mass scale acceptable as long as it was done in the interests of “safety”? Does the fact that it was done for entertainment purposes make it okay?
Does anyone think that something like this couldn’t happen in the United States? Could the same type of deception one day cross over the line from “entertainment” into “news” and "public servcie announcements"? Would any of us realize it if it did?
And does it matter that I had it backwards?
excerpt from What So Proudly We Hailed . . .
(United States, 2027 A.D.)
It was three days after July 4th, when A.J. and I had watched the celebration in Washington DC on television and saw the fireworks and the flag waving and the reading of important sounding words that didn’t mean anything anymore and the vehement assurances to all patriotic Americans that progress was being made in the war on terrorism, both foreign and domestic.
The wide angle cameras showed the Mall area overflowing with thousands of people, but the close in shots stayed in tight on the podium during the speeches and songs, showing only the stage and the first few rows of people.
I heard from a reliable source that there were only about 200 actual people at the Mall that day; paid actors for all I know. The crowds that were shown in the long views were all computer animated, and the applause and cheering that came over the TV was canned.
The fireworks had been real, though.
* * *
My mother had a saying that she often recited as I was growing up: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." A little hokey maybe, but apt.
Deception is deception; if it becomes acceptable anywhere, it becomes acceptable everywhere.
. . . choose this day whom you will serve . . . (Joshua 24:15)
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