Does This Mean We're Safe Now?

Bangkok: The spirit of US President George W Bush has been trapped in a clay pot and tossed into a river in northern Thailand after being cursed by hundreds of farmers protesting US agriculture policy.

A photograph of the US leader was sealed inside a pot amid black magic mantra chants, then tossed into the Ping River yesterday by demonstrators after they rallied at the US consulate in Chiang Mai, a farm group leader said.

"This is a traditional northern Thai ceremony aimed at keeping his spirit down on the riverbed so he could not come and exploit our natural resources or suppress our (farming) brothers with his superior influence," Weerasak Wan-ubol, an executive of the Northern Farmers Alliance, said today.

The 300 protesters, claiming to represent 20,000 members from seven northern provinces, railed against imminent plans for a free-trade agreement between Thailand and the United States.

The act was also a protest against Washington's military intervention in sovereign nations, the Bangkok Post reported.

A respected elder performed the voodoo rites, inscribing ancient Khmer scripts on the pot, aimed at trapping the spirit of the US president.

[link to article]

Ah, who'm I kidding? No matter what I do, it's still not a Casati! Sigh....

Oh, well. Read up on this, anyway. For when you come back to visit. When I read it, I couldn't help but think of you.

And I already have you penciled in for next year's Towpath Century Challenge, just so you know. Best wishes for a smooth move, and for the California of your dreams.

In yet other news....

Which Dr. Seuss character are you?
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I was afraid of that.... (thanks again, Gael!)

Posted by Me at 23:22 link

The Autumn Moon Lights My Way

Something about this time of year makes me feel things that are too powerful to express, makes me yearn for that which is beyond my — or anyone's — grasp.

(Maybe it's because I was born in the mid-autumn.)

Every year around this time, when the leaves begin to fall, the wind begins to bite and the nights becomes longer than the days, I'm gripped by a sense of higher purpose, or at least of greater possibilities.

(It's probably hormonal.)

Posted by Me at 23:52 link

My God's Better Than Your God

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are defending a new deputy undersecretary of defense "who has reportedly cast the war on terror" in religious terms.

Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, whose promotion and appointment was confirmed by the Senate in June, has said publicly that he sees the war on terrorism as a clash between Judeo-Christian values and Satan, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

Appearing in dress uniform before a religious group in Oregon in June, Boykin said Islamic extremists hate the United States "because we're a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christians. ... And the enemy is a guy named Satan."

....

Discussing a U.S. Army battle against a Muslim warlord in Somalia in 1993, Boykin told one audience, "I knew my god was bigger than his. I knew that my god was a real god and his was an idol."

Asked about this Thursday, Rumsfeld told reporters he had not seen the videos and did not know the "full context" of Boykin's remarks. But the secretary did say, "We do know that he is an officer that has an outstanding record in the United States armed forces."

....

"There are a lot of things that are said by people that are their views," he said, "and that's the way we live. We are free people and that's the wonderful thing about our country, and I think for anyone to run around and think that can be managed or controlled is probably wrong."

[full story]

Further, when a military officer gives a speech in full uniform, isn't that person considered to be a representative of the U.S. government, and aren't their views also considered to be those of the U.S. government?

Is this how we plan to win the hearts and minds of Muslims at home and abroad? God help us all!

Music In My Head:

• Madonna — "American Life"
• Propellerheads — "Take California"
• Sinéad O'Connor — "I Am Stretched On Your Grave"
• Wicked Lestor — "Indoswing"
• Lords of Acid — "I Sit On Acid" (dance remix)

Don't cling to anything and don't reject anything. Let come what comes, and accomodate yourself to that, whatever it is. If good mental images arise, that is fine. If bad mental images arise, that is fine, too. Look on all of it as equal, and make yourself comfortable with whatever happens. Don't fight with what you experience, just observe it all mindfully.

-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"

Life In A Nutshell

For me, it was back to school today. I love being in school; it's so much less scary than, you know — working! I admit it: the idea of getting a "real" job scares me. I'm 36 and I've never had a "career" job, just a series of paychecks. Work has always been something I've done so I could afford to do the stuff I want to do, like getting outdoors. Probably my job should be all about getting outdoors, but how does one do that? Anyway, I'm sure it'll turn out fine, despite my "advanced age," despite the crappy economy, despite my carefully-concealed anxiety (oops — looks like I blew that one). Of course, if you need computer programming help, I work hard. And obviously, I'm utterly brilliant!

I am starting a new work venture tomorrow, so wish me luck. I'll be selling stuff on eBay, so maybe my Scots heritage will come in handy?

Otherwise, it's eat, sleep, school, workout, repeat. And dream of getting outdoors. That's my life in a nutshell, which is probably exactly where it belongs.

Country Road, near Hillsdale, NY — I dream of stuff like this

Posted by Me at 23:31 link

My New Hero!

Just a few of his ideas:

• 100% recyclable cars (all necessary technology already exists)
• Buildings that generate more energy than they use, and which collect and purify their own water (several of these have already been built)
• Wind energy which costs less to produce than energy from fossil fuels (yep — already being done)

If I Had A Hammer Magic Wand....

There's a lot going on that I want to talk about, but for now, I have a question for all of you:

If you had a magic wand, and could use it to change three things about our society, what would you change?

Here's my answer:

I would first convert our fossil-fuel-driven economy into one driven by hydrogen, which would be generated entirely by earth-friendly methods solar.

Next I would eliminate advertising, because our desire for so much more stuff than we actually need is manufactured by the same folks who make all the stuff.

Third, I would generate a practical economic model that would ensure prosperity for everyone without requiring population growth or economic growth.

Then I'd go spend some more time with friends.

What would you do?

Posted by Me at 22:32 link