To be able to connect with other living things allows us to be more powerful. But it is not a power emitted by us it is a power channeled through by all that we connect with. To feel and focus the energy lets us accomplish things we might never believe possible.
Humans are not perfect. Even when it seems everything should work the way you see it, surprises happen. People live and people die every day. Usually death is not in anyone's plan but it's unavoidable. And losing, or one's perception of what losing is, usually isn't part of the plan either.
I played competitive team sports for more than half of my life. Football, hockey, baseball. I've also played individual sports ... tennis, golf. Sometimes it's more personal to lose an individual sport but, in my experience, it's almost always more disappointing to lose at a team sport.
I've thought about it and have a theory as to why that is. When you lose an individual sport, you are solely responsible. The other person was just better than you and it is impossible to hide from. But at the end of the match you gave your best, assuming you did, and lost so it's clear and you have to accept it. Some complain and blame the line judge or a bad bounce but most leave the courts accepting the outcome.
With a team sport it's a little different though. You only play one position, no matter how visible or not, there are other people you have to rely on and they have to rely on you. It's a much different dynamic that requires accountability to people besides yourself. If you drop the pass in the end zone you have not only let yourself down but also the other 10 people on your team and the quarterback who threw the pass is going to think twice about relying on you on the next play. It means everyone on the team must work together and concentrate on their particular role and execute the best they can.
I'm not going to speculate on who will win and who will lose, it's fruitless in my opinion. But to live in the moment and do your best right now in order to achieve victory as you perceive it then you will have done all you can. Give it your best and leave it all on the field as they say. All we can do is our best and if we spend our energy trying to trip our opponents up we will lose focus of what we need to do right now. The idea, after all is to win and "not losing" is not the same thing.
All I know is that if I don't do what I can then it's possible another neo-con Republican might be our next president and I would feel very bad about my performance if I hadn't put in a full effort and my candidate lost. Even though I'm an independent I am committed to the idea of putting a Democrat in office come November and which one is less important.
On War:
Returning from his eighth trip to Iraq, McCain didn't back down on his promise to see the war through despite yesterday's tragic milestone of 4,000 deaths. "We're succeeding. I don't care what anybody says. I've seen the facts on the ground," the Arizona senator insisted a day after a roadside bomb in Baghdad killed four U.S. soldiers and rockets pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone there, and a wave of attacks left at least 61 Iraqis dead nationwide.
On The Economy:
McCain wants to cut government spending and make the tax cuts for the wealthy permanent and eliminate the estate tax. I ask you, where are we going to get the money to pay for the $2-billion per week war we're fighting, pay for VA benefits, bail out homeowners to avoid foreclosures, and give Americans the Social Security funds they've worked hard for and paid for? It sounds like a bunch of smoke and mirrors to me. You can't reduce revenue and increase costs then expect to have all the money needed for the social programs we have in place.
Who'll lose out ... not the rich.
His voting record on abortion:
Supports repealing Roe v. Wade. (May 2007)Voted YES on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP.(Mar 2008)Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007) oted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000) Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)Expand embryonic stem cell research. (Jun 2004)Rated 75% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion. (Dec 2006)Homeland Security:
Keep “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy - it works. (Jan 2000)Voted NO on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months. (Jul 2007Voted NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. (Sep 2006)Voted NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods. (Sep 2006)Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision. (Dec 2005)Voted NO on restricting business with entities linked to terrorism. (Jul 2005)Voted NO on restoring $565M for states' and ports' first responders. (Mar 2005).On Iran:
Strategic bombing of Iran OK only if imminent threat. (Dec 2007Congress can only declare war; not micromanage wars. (Dec 2007Keep military option open against Iran, even if no nukes. (Dec 2007No direct talk with Iran; talk is over-rated. (Dec 2007)Iran & Syria must not get nukes; they'll exterminate Israel. (Nov 2007)Iran is state sponsor of terrorism; no more evidence needed. (Nov 2007)Congressional consultation before attacking Iran's nukes. (Oct 2007Sanctions to prevent Iranian nukes; but don't count on UN. (Sep 2007Iran is sponsor of terrorism; US strike if they get nukes. (May 2007)For those of you who can identify with the above issues you belong in the McCain camp. If he is elected this is what we'll get.
The truth will set you free (this is really funny and really sad at the same time):
A conversation you might not have heard:
It isn't about nation building, democracy, wmd or anything but this:
Not giving up by a long shot. Fighting until the end.
Take a look at what life in a refugee war zone is like Link. Fighting tanks with rocks, who are the good guys and who are the terrorists?
Following the holocaust I don't know any rational person who can say the European Jews shouldn't have had a safe refuge and the same right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we all hope for.
But at what cost.
The answer is that, rather than negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement, millions of Palestinians were told to leave their home and never return. Their only option was to flee to refugee camps in Southern Lebanon. Understandably, many were beyond upset and began a wave of retaliatory violence that continues to today.
It is by not negotiating and through continuing expansion of Israel that Hamas and other organizations have taken such root and gained such widespread support throughout the middle east. Never in my lifetime has there been an honest and sincere effort to draw up negotiated borders and really craft a two state solution.
Bush's reaction to 9/11 and our invasion of Iraq has emboldened the right-wing Likud government to embark on their own "CRUSADE" against Muslims ... not just Palestinians.
In fact, Sharon's invasion into Southern Lebanon in 1973 was widely recognized as unjust and the Hague sought to prosecute him as a war criminal for the massacres he was responsible for.
My point ... terrorism can only come about through a LACK of acceptance for others different than yourself. People are usually not prompted to violence unless they have no other option. There is a line from Jesus Christ Superstar that says "To conquer death you only have to die". Google Gaza or the West Bank and look at how the average Palestinian lives and you will understand why there is such outrage in the Arab world toward Israel and toward US. We, who proclaim to be an honest peace broker, are nothing of the sort. For 60 years we have said there needs to be a two state solution yet Israel continues to expand and Palestinians are relegated to unemployment, lack of education, malnourishment, and military occupation. At the same time a wall is being erected to prevent movement from one area to another.
And the people we call terrorists act out of desperation. I've heard Bush call suicide bombers cowards. While I think they're homocidal maniacs who have lost touch with reality it is hard to imagine circumstances that would cause me to blow myself up and kill others. I don't think they're cowards I think they're trying to conquer death because life has become a living hell for them.
I'm all in favor of the McCain approach. Let's bomb Iran into submission. That won't endanger the troops in Iraq that much and it will feel really good to bomb a country that's not done anything to us YET into submission. Big craters and body parts all over the place. Boy I can't wait to film it.
Then we should move on to Syria. Since we bombed Iran, one of Iraqs neighbors, we might as well bomb another neighbor while the military is in the area. Who cares if we lose a few soldiers, that will lower the military payroll.
If this sounds good to you then you're probably a redneck. Go mow your lawn and you'll probably find a car too.
Why is it that we accept paying taxes that go to services which provide no benefit for most of us. We are being taxed without being represented just as surely as we were in 1775. It's time to revize the tax system.
I like the idea of a consumption or sales tax rather than an income tax. Why take money out of the pockets of people who need it most and give tax breaks to the rich. If we change to tax people based on what they use, sales tax on products, property tax on property, utility tax on utilities, then people will only pay for what they use.
The IRS would be in place as a shell of its current self and people would have more disposable income. I've formed a group to cover this topic here and encourage all to join and give their perspective.
If we can afford to pay $2-billion a week for an unjust war in Iraq we can certainly afford to pay for health insurance for all our citizens using tax dollars. We let people go uninsured or force them to pay for private insurance that is cost prohibitive to many people. We pay for government and we should make it work for us.
I've started a new group called "A Tax Based Health Insurance System" that is geared toward this end. We can put the negotiating power of 300 million Americans to good use in dealing with pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers (doctors and hospitals).
Here is a Link to the group if you are interested in this topic.
Our government has been complicit with corporate America in maintaing artificially low wages and it's time to tell Washington they need to look out for workers who have little protection ... not executives and board members with armies of lawyers at their disposal.
I've formed a new group called "A Living Wage" geared toward addressing this issue. Employers need to look at geographic costs for rent, food, utilities, and commuting considerations when determining the minimum wage they will pay an employee.
Just throwing a figure, like $5.15/hr, is not good enough. If it costs $8/hr, or even $15/hr, to live and work somewhere then that should be the minimum wage.
Government takes years to adjust this wage level and we have no real advocates in Washington to address the issue seriously. If a corporate executive can receive a $100 million bonus then we need to make sure people under their employ are capable of affording an apartment and food in the area they work in before any such bonus is given out.
If it means they get $25-million instead of $100-million but the quality of life for each employee is better then that's what needs to be done. Corporations have shown us that trickle down doesn't work and if our elected officials don't stand up for the least of us then no one will.
Here's a Link to the group for those interested in joining.
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