Monthly Archives: April 2003

Some news is good news

There are new babies born to people on IAM all the time — a lot of the time the future seems dark, and while our parents' generation (and even our generation) may have really screwed up this world, if we raise the next generation to reject those mistakes, there's still hope… In many ways it's only by good people having children, and raising them in Love, that the problems of this world will correct themselves.

PS. Before you congratulate me, click the picture.
"You can't cheat kids. If you cheat them when they're children they'll make you pay when they're sixteen or seventeen by revolting against you or hating you or all those so-called teenage problems. I think that's finally when they're old enough to stand up to you and say, What a hypocrite you've been all this time. You've never given me what I really wanted, which is you."
- John Lennon


Today is a day for gardenning assuming it stays as warm as it was yesterday (it was 77 deg F / 25 deg C)… Got to get the beds level. Anyway, a brief news update, and then it's off to work on “What the modified can learn from Satan“, the new article (with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek title of course; it's not literal).

While the White House denies that Syria is next (more) even though it's been deluged with threats, the US is beginning an oil embargo against Syria (more), and Syria asks itself, “why us?” (more). The Washington Post reports that the whole “Saving Pfc. Jessica Lynch” affair was a staged Hollywood event designed to drum up morale at home and in the troops (more). I'll say again: there is so much disinformation coming out that you'd be doing youself a favor to absorb absolutely as much data as you can from as wide a range of first-hand sources as possible*.

But don't worry — according to Amnesty International, Iraq's people may be at risk, but the oil is well protected (more). While the US troops shield the oil pipelines and wells from any attack or seizure, looters destroyed and burned Iraq's National Library (more, more, more), wiping thousands of years of irreplaceable documents off the face of the earth forever. That combined with the destruction of the museums and archaeological sites represents an immeasurable loss for all humanity.

Update, 9AM: I should also point out that the artifacts above were not just stolen by the mob. Before (and after) the mob looters were going in, professionals went in and used explosives to blow open the safes. Not only that, but they picked off specific and valuable items, and ignored copies — something only art and antiquities experts would be able to do. This was a planned, professional “hit”. Draw your own conclusions as to where that art will end up.

Anyway, Iraq has fallen from forced order to unenforced chaos (more), and religious extremists are calling for, in apparent majority, rule by religious extremists — the Taliban in effect (more, more). Anti-US protests in Iraq grow larger every day (more, more, more), and the US miltiary are stepping in to block the media from covering these events (more).

Back in Afghanistan, chaos and violence continues to rule (more) and the Taliban are burning down Western schools (more). Oh, wait, didn't that war end in the liberation of the people of Afghanistan a year ago?

PS. Another WMD claim debunked (more).

* If you take the key words (names, places, acts) from the stories I link to and type them into, you should be able to find numerous references from recent articles, and of course a more general search can fill you in on the backstories.

Thank you

On days when I question the hours I put into things that I rarely receive acknowledgement for short of abuse, I can't begin to say how much I appreciate things like the below. Those of you who took part in it, and the rest of the joy that was in that big box, I thank you. I couldn't do it without you.

Wasp attack!

Seriously, I don't know how I didn't just get stung. This little fellow was none too thrilled with a flash going off inches from their face. I caught it in some paper towels and now its's flying free outside. Wasps sure are cool looking!

Does tongue splitting have a historical basis?

Absolutely — tongue splitting, known as "Khechar Mudr" is a part of Hatha and Kumbhaka Yoga where the tongue is split and then "milked" until it is long enough to be turned back inside the mouth to the epiglottis, where it is used in breathing excercises, the goal being to become aware of only the internal. Yogins that practice these rites believe that it allows them to be absorbed "into God" (that is, becoming conjoined with the universal soul, an experience that is also common in suspension and other body rites).

Death comes easy in Tweed

I feel pretty sick right now… Nothing that won't pass in a few hours though. Let me warn you: drinking 25+ cups of coffee (ok, crazy-strong tea in my case) and then eating six large raw carrots for breakfast is hard on the gulliver!

Yesterday a guy on a motorcycle came tearing over the hill in front of the house. The wind had blown over the “warning: giant pothole ahead” sign — maybe I should feel bad that I didn't do my civic duty and fix it when I noticed it… Anyway, he hit the pothole on his bike at full speed and, after a brief airborne period, his body got impaled on the rail fence that lines the side of the street. He's dead now.

I'd post a picture, but my description above is I'm sure in bad enough taste already.

- Bion, from Plutarch, Water and Land Animals

Anyway, today I'm finally going to re-write the tongue splitting FAQ… Something I should have done a long, long time ago. When it's done later I'll post it here, and then maybe someone can post it to RAB for me as well to archive it in those systems (I don't have proper USENET access from here).

Other than that I'm cleaning the barn and perhaps expecting guests… Construction of the skate barn should start either this weekend or next week depending on the weather… After cleaning though my first priority is getting a good stereo system set up out there!