November 11 is Veteran’s Day, when we honor the men and women who serve in our armed forces, most of whom perform honorably with little fanfare. Some go above and beyond the call of duty.
The son of a Kentucky doctor, John Bell Hood enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1849. He accumulated 196 demerits, 4 short of expulsion, and ranked 44th out of 52 in the class of 1853.
As a Brevet Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, Hood was assigned to Ft. Scott, California. In October of 1855, he was reassigned to the newly formed elite Second Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Mason, Texas. In a battle at Devil’s River the following summer, his left hand was pierced by a Comanche arrow.
Three days after the outbreak of the Civil War, Hood tendered his resignation from the United States Army, then enlisted in the Confederate Army in Montgomery, Alabama, receiving a commission as a Lieutenant. He was assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia where he received rapid promotions.
On March 7, 1862, Hood was promoted to Brigadier General and took command of the renowned Texas Brigade. Under his command, the Texans won important victories at Gaines Mill (called the Seven Days Battles) and Second Manassas. In September of 1862, the Texas Brigade’s heroics saved the Confederate’s left flank at Antietam, prompting his corps commander, General Stonewall Jackson, to promote Hood to Major General.
Under General James Longstreet, Hood was a division commander at Gettysburg where he was severely wounded on July 2, 1863, permanently losing the use of his left arm. In September, after recovering from his wounds, Hood was assigned to the Army of Tennessee. He joined his division as they were positioning for the ensuing Battle of Chickamauga and led them at Brotherton Cabin, breaking through the Federal line, leading to the rout of Union General Rosecran’s Army. During the battle, Hood received another serious wound, resulting in the amputation of his right leg. He was promptly promoted to Lieutenant General by Longstreet.
After recovering from his latest injury, in February of 1864, Hood assumed a corps command in the Army of Tennessee (combined with the Army of Mississippi) under General Johnston. The Confederate troops floundered under Johnston’s cautious leadership in their skirmishes with the Union Army’s advances under Gen. Sherman.
Confederacy President Jefferson Davis promoted Hood to the temporary rank of full General and relieved Johnston of his command on July 17, 1864. Two days later, Hood launched an offensive, called the Battle of Peachtree Creek. On July 21, Union forces launched a howitzer bombardment on Atlanta. Hood countered by attacking Federal troops near Decatur. On July 29, Hood led another assault at Ezra Chruch. In early August, Hood’s cavalry had killed or captured two-thirds of Sherman’s cavalry at Brown’s Mill and Sunshine Church, south of Atlanta. On August 6, Hood’s troops repulsed Union forces at Utoy Creek. But Sherman’s Army was relentless and the fate of Atlanta was sealed. Hood evacuated Atlanta on September 2, 1864.
Hood’s forces retreated into the hills, harassing Sherman’s supply and communications. In November of 1864, Hood suffered a defeat at Franklin, Tennessee. In December, another defeat at Nashville. His shattered forces relocated to northern Mississippi. On January 23, 1865, Hood resigned his command and reverted back to his permanent rank of Lieutenant General. He surrendered to Federal authorities on May 31, 1865.
After the war, Hood became a cotton broker in New Orleans where he married and fathered 11 children, including three sets of twins, over the next ten years. On August 30, 1879, John Bell Hood died of yellow fever. His wife and oldest son also died within days. Destitute from a market collapse, his ten orphaned children were adopted by seven different families in Louisiana, New York, Mississippi, Georgia and Kentucky.
Above and beyond the call of duty, John Bell Hood went into battle time after time with only one good arm and a missing leg, and fought like hell.
He is memorialized by Fort Hood, Texas.
The war to end all wars officially ended at 11:00 AM on the morning of November 11, 1918. It was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month -- 11, 11, 11.
But freedom is not free -- it’s fragile and comes with a price. It requires dedication, perseverance and sacrifice.
On November 5, 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim and U.S. Army psychiatrist, opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, killing 13 and wounding scores of others, proving once again that the world remains a dangerous place populated by self-centered, radical, deranged and evil people.
The war to end all wars would later be called World War I, as brave men and women continue to lose life and limb in a never-ending quest for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
On November 11, we honor their dedication and sacrifice.
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Quote for the Day -- “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable -- every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle.” Martin Luther King
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Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and once served in the U.S. Army in 1966-68. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thinning the Herd
To the best of my knowledge, a cowboy has never won a Nobel Prize for physics, chemistry or even economics. This is due primarily to the nature of the human brain. Nobel laureates have brains that operate in a functional manner while cowboys have brains that have been scrambled by performing various cowboy activities, such as riding bucking broncos, saloon brawling and shouting “yahoo” far more often than necessary. This is especially true of rodeo cowboys.
Mexican Poker is a rodeo event where a bunch of brain-dead cowboys sit around a card table as an angry bull is released into the arena. The last man seated is the winner. This is not a sport to aspire to participate in unless you have an IQ below 12 and enjoy being stomped upon by a large, ferocious, snorting animal with an equally low IQ.
While this is obviously a dangerous undertaking, it’s the only rodeo contest where the animal is allowed to wreak havoc on the cowboy. That alone should make it a worthwhile activity. Cowboys enjoy the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. In fact, some of them seem to prefer the agony. Besides, anyone foolish enough to participate in this event does so of their own freewill, keenly aware of the risk, pushing machismo to the limit.
After all, this is a free country, isn’t it?
Apparently not.
Larry Rohrbach, a state senator in Missouri, recently introduced a bill banning Mexican Poker in his state.
Strangely enough, I know a guy from Missouri named Bill Banning. He is a large, ferocious, snorting human being with an IQ slightly above competing in Mexican Poker -- as either a card player or the bull.
Clearly, a bill banning Mexican Poker isn’t meant to protect the bull. It’s simply another assault on freedom. The world doesn’t need another law protecting us from our own stupidity. People take risks all the time in various sports such as football, hockey, rugby, mountain climbing, auto racing, sky diving, scuba diving, bungee jumping and so on. It’s bad enough to require air bags in automobiles and force motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but some do-gooders go way too far trying to make the world safe for everyone else.
Tens of thousands of people die every year as a result of automobile accidents. This could easily be reduced to nearly zero if we require all automobiles to be mechanically limited to a top speed of 30 miles per hour. This would save thousands of lives but it would take forever to get anywhere.
Several hundred people die every year from electric shock but nobody would seriously consider banning electricity.
A man in Australia was killed a couple of years ago by an object that fell from the sky, but to require everyone to wear a safety helmet outdoors would be ridiculous.
There are 700,000 physicians in the United States. According to recent studies, physicians cause approximately 120,000 accidental deaths each year. Perhaps we should outlaw the “practice” of medicine as well.
Many do-gooders want to rid the world of guns. There are 80,000,000 gun owners in the United States and approximately 1,500 accidental gun deaths per year. While that may seem like a large number, it also means that doctors are statistically 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Of course, that doesn’t take into account physicians who also own guns – a very dangerous group of individuals indeed.
Mandated extreme safety comes at the price of freedom. It’s one thing to require your own kids to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, but making it mandatory for everyone else’s kids is not exactly a neighborly thing to do.
Mother Nature has a way of keeping everything in check -- it’s called natural selection and thinning the herd.
If people want to risk life and limb doing dangerous things, they should be free to do so as long as they aren’t endangering anyone else.
Besides, the human herd could probably use a bit of thinning.
___________
Quote for the Day -- “Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.” Ayn Rand
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where the human herd has been thinned down to a manageable size. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
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-
Mexican Poker is a rodeo event where a bunch of brain-dead cowboys sit around a card table as an angry bull is released into the arena. The last man seated is the winner. This is not a sport to aspire to participate in unless you have an IQ below 12 and enjoy being stomped upon by a large, ferocious, snorting animal with an equally low IQ.
While this is obviously a dangerous undertaking, it’s the only rodeo contest where the animal is allowed to wreak havoc on the cowboy. That alone should make it a worthwhile activity. Cowboys enjoy the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. In fact, some of them seem to prefer the agony. Besides, anyone foolish enough to participate in this event does so of their own freewill, keenly aware of the risk, pushing machismo to the limit.
After all, this is a free country, isn’t it?
Apparently not.
Larry Rohrbach, a state senator in Missouri, recently introduced a bill banning Mexican Poker in his state.
Strangely enough, I know a guy from Missouri named Bill Banning. He is a large, ferocious, snorting human being with an IQ slightly above competing in Mexican Poker -- as either a card player or the bull.
Clearly, a bill banning Mexican Poker isn’t meant to protect the bull. It’s simply another assault on freedom. The world doesn’t need another law protecting us from our own stupidity. People take risks all the time in various sports such as football, hockey, rugby, mountain climbing, auto racing, sky diving, scuba diving, bungee jumping and so on. It’s bad enough to require air bags in automobiles and force motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but some do-gooders go way too far trying to make the world safe for everyone else.
Tens of thousands of people die every year as a result of automobile accidents. This could easily be reduced to nearly zero if we require all automobiles to be mechanically limited to a top speed of 30 miles per hour. This would save thousands of lives but it would take forever to get anywhere.
Several hundred people die every year from electric shock but nobody would seriously consider banning electricity.
A man in Australia was killed a couple of years ago by an object that fell from the sky, but to require everyone to wear a safety helmet outdoors would be ridiculous.
There are 700,000 physicians in the United States. According to recent studies, physicians cause approximately 120,000 accidental deaths each year. Perhaps we should outlaw the “practice” of medicine as well.
Many do-gooders want to rid the world of guns. There are 80,000,000 gun owners in the United States and approximately 1,500 accidental gun deaths per year. While that may seem like a large number, it also means that doctors are statistically 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Of course, that doesn’t take into account physicians who also own guns – a very dangerous group of individuals indeed.
Mandated extreme safety comes at the price of freedom. It’s one thing to require your own kids to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, but making it mandatory for everyone else’s kids is not exactly a neighborly thing to do.
Mother Nature has a way of keeping everything in check -- it’s called natural selection and thinning the herd.
If people want to risk life and limb doing dangerous things, they should be free to do so as long as they aren’t endangering anyone else.
Besides, the human herd could probably use a bit of thinning.
___________
Quote for the Day -- “Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.” Ayn Rand
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where the human herd has been thinned down to a manageable size. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
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Sunday, November 1, 2009
Kinky in Texas
On November 1, 1944, the son of a professor at the University of Texas, Richard "Kinky" Friedman, entered this world the usual way – headfirst, naked and dripping with slime. He had his bar-mitzvah in Houston.
In college, he majored in psychology and started a band, King Arthur and the Carrots, a group that spoofed surf music. Upon graduation, he served in the Peace Corps in Borneo as an agriculture worker for three years.
In 1971, he formed his second band, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, a politically incorrect group that performed satirical songs. Some of their song titles include: "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed" and "We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to You." Other songs were written and performed in response to perceived anti-Semitism, such as "Ride 'em Jewboy" and "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore."
Kinky claims to be the oldest living Jew in Texas who doesn't own real estate. In an interview, he once said, "The only thing cowboys and Jews have in common is that both wear hats indoors."
After the Texas Jewboys disbanded in 1979, Kinky moved to New York and became a writer. He has written articles for Rolling Stone and Texas Monthly magazines, and has authored several mystery novels. Described as unique and outrageous, the titles include: GREENWICH KILLING TIME, A CASE OF LONE STAR, and THE MILE HIGH CLUB.
In 2004, Kinky Friedman began a campaign to become Governor of Texas. By 2006, he had obtained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. He received 12.6 percent of the vote and came in fourth in a six-person race.
In 2009, he’s running for governor once again in the 2010 election. This time around he has decided to become a Democrat rather than an independent, thus avoiding wasting a zillion hours gathering signatures.
"We will beat back the wussification of Texas if we have to do it one wuss at a time," is one of his many campaign promises. His website is kinkyfriedman.com.
Nationally, Texas is number one in high school dropout rates, number 48 in education spending per child, number 46 in mental health, number 45 in public health, number 49 in state arts agency, number 44 in highway merit and number 49 in water quality expenditures. Taking those and many other categories into consideration, Texas ranks number 49, above only Mississippi, in total quality of life.
“I just want Texas to be number one in something other than executions, toll roads and property taxes,” Kinky insists.
Education is Kinky's number one priority. He has a "No Teacher Left Behind" plan that identifies special teachers and seeks their advice in creating "a vibrant, responsive and forward-looking education system."
He's opposed to the criminal justice system in Texas whereby those who don't receive the death penalty (violent repeat offenders) are always subject to parole. He wants a life without parole option for judges.
In energy, he proposes the production of alternative sources of energy. He believes in eco-friendly, bio-diesel fuels produced from agriculture products, including reclaimed frying grease and rotting vegetation.
Another platform is to abolish political correctness, hardly a surprise considering some of his song titles. He loves big cigars and believes he has the right to blow smoke into someone else's lungs in public places.
His border policy also reflects his distain for political correctness. He wants to set up five zones along the border between Texas and Mexico then appoint five Mexican generals, one to each zone, to be in charge of preventing illegal border crossings. To insure compliance, he will deposit one million dollars into each of five separate trust accounts and withdraw $10,000 every time a crossing occurs in the corresponding general's zone.
Ordinarily, I stay out of foreign politics but I always feel the need to support the rise of an independent-minded candidate or third party, as long as it isn't something that strengthens the excessive governmental control on liberty and individual freedom, as with Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Obamaism or Transvestite Dominatrixism.
The biggest problem in Texas is too many Texans. They all have big belt buckles, big hats, big appetites, big plans and big egos. Being the Governor of Texas is a lot like being in charge of incoming missiles. But Kinky Friedman somehow seems crazy enough for the job. You don't get a name like "Kinky" by being normal.
A vote for Kinky is a vote against politics as usual. Even if he turns out to be all hat and no cattle, it will undoubtedly be entertaining. And Texas will probably still be ahead of Mississippi.
___________
Quote for the Day -- “A happy childhood is the worst possible preparation for life.” Kinky Friedman
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where Texans are as rare as kangaroo dung. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
In college, he majored in psychology and started a band, King Arthur and the Carrots, a group that spoofed surf music. Upon graduation, he served in the Peace Corps in Borneo as an agriculture worker for three years.
In 1971, he formed his second band, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, a politically incorrect group that performed satirical songs. Some of their song titles include: "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed" and "We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to You." Other songs were written and performed in response to perceived anti-Semitism, such as "Ride 'em Jewboy" and "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore."
Kinky claims to be the oldest living Jew in Texas who doesn't own real estate. In an interview, he once said, "The only thing cowboys and Jews have in common is that both wear hats indoors."
After the Texas Jewboys disbanded in 1979, Kinky moved to New York and became a writer. He has written articles for Rolling Stone and Texas Monthly magazines, and has authored several mystery novels. Described as unique and outrageous, the titles include: GREENWICH KILLING TIME, A CASE OF LONE STAR, and THE MILE HIGH CLUB.
In 2004, Kinky Friedman began a campaign to become Governor of Texas. By 2006, he had obtained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. He received 12.6 percent of the vote and came in fourth in a six-person race.
In 2009, he’s running for governor once again in the 2010 election. This time around he has decided to become a Democrat rather than an independent, thus avoiding wasting a zillion hours gathering signatures.
"We will beat back the wussification of Texas if we have to do it one wuss at a time," is one of his many campaign promises. His website is kinkyfriedman.com.
Nationally, Texas is number one in high school dropout rates, number 48 in education spending per child, number 46 in mental health, number 45 in public health, number 49 in state arts agency, number 44 in highway merit and number 49 in water quality expenditures. Taking those and many other categories into consideration, Texas ranks number 49, above only Mississippi, in total quality of life.
“I just want Texas to be number one in something other than executions, toll roads and property taxes,” Kinky insists.
Education is Kinky's number one priority. He has a "No Teacher Left Behind" plan that identifies special teachers and seeks their advice in creating "a vibrant, responsive and forward-looking education system."
He's opposed to the criminal justice system in Texas whereby those who don't receive the death penalty (violent repeat offenders) are always subject to parole. He wants a life without parole option for judges.
In energy, he proposes the production of alternative sources of energy. He believes in eco-friendly, bio-diesel fuels produced from agriculture products, including reclaimed frying grease and rotting vegetation.
Another platform is to abolish political correctness, hardly a surprise considering some of his song titles. He loves big cigars and believes he has the right to blow smoke into someone else's lungs in public places.
His border policy also reflects his distain for political correctness. He wants to set up five zones along the border between Texas and Mexico then appoint five Mexican generals, one to each zone, to be in charge of preventing illegal border crossings. To insure compliance, he will deposit one million dollars into each of five separate trust accounts and withdraw $10,000 every time a crossing occurs in the corresponding general's zone.
Ordinarily, I stay out of foreign politics but I always feel the need to support the rise of an independent-minded candidate or third party, as long as it isn't something that strengthens the excessive governmental control on liberty and individual freedom, as with Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Obamaism or Transvestite Dominatrixism.
The biggest problem in Texas is too many Texans. They all have big belt buckles, big hats, big appetites, big plans and big egos. Being the Governor of Texas is a lot like being in charge of incoming missiles. But Kinky Friedman somehow seems crazy enough for the job. You don't get a name like "Kinky" by being normal.
A vote for Kinky is a vote against politics as usual. Even if he turns out to be all hat and no cattle, it will undoubtedly be entertaining. And Texas will probably still be ahead of Mississippi.
___________
Quote for the Day -- “A happy childhood is the worst possible preparation for life.” Kinky Friedman
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where Texans are as rare as kangaroo dung. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Emergency, Emergency
In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, protecting our freedoms by eliminating our freedoms has turned our so-called democracy into a virtual dictatorship.
A Presidential Executive Order becomes law simply by being published in the Federal Registry. Congress is not involved in the process.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created during the Nixon Administration. FEMA has been given responsibility for disasters, including weather-related incidents, forest fires, nuclear or toxic incidents, urban riots, home heating emergencies, refugee problems, etc.
FEMA, under Executive Order 12148, is to interface with the Department of Defense for civil defense planning and funding. An "emergency czar" was appointed. FEMA has only spent about 6 percent of its budget on national emergencies. The bulk of their funding has been used for the construction of secret underground facilities to assure continuity of government in case of a major emergency, foreign or domestic, and to build FEMA facilities (detention camps) to house dissenters.
Over time, every President since Nixon has issued Executive Orders, bypassing Congress, that have centralized more power to control the citizens of the USA.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10990 -- allows the government to take over control of all highways and seaports.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10995 -- allows the government to seize and control the communication media.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10997 -- allows the government to take over all electrical power, gas, petroleum, fuels and minerals.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10998 -- allows the government to take over all food resources and farms.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10999 -- allows the government to take over all modes of transportation, private or public, including your car.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11000 -- allows the government to mobilize civilians into work brigades under government supervision.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11001 -- allows the government to take over all health, education and welfare functions.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11002 -- designates the Postmaster General to operate a national registration of all persons.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11003 -- allows the government to take over all airports and aircraft, including commercial aircraft.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11004 -- allows the Housing and Finance Authority to relocate communities, build new housing with public funds, designate areas to be abandoned, and establish new locations for populations.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11005 -- allows the government to take over railroads, inland waterways and public storage facilities.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11051 -- specifies the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Planning and gives authorization to put all Executive Orders into effect in times of increased international tensions and economic or financial crisis.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11310 -- grants authority to the Department of Justice to enforce the plans set out in Executive Orders, to institute industrial support, to establish judicial and legislative liaison, to control all aliens, to operate penal and correctional institutions, and to advise and assist the President.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11049 -- assigns emergency preparedness function to federal departments and agencies, consolidating 21 operative Executive Orders issued over a fifteen year period.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11921 -- allows the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency to develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in U.S. financial institution in any undefined national emergency. It also provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President, Congress cannot review the action for six months. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has broad powers in every aspect of the nation.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11990 -- appointed the National Security Council as the principal body that should consider emergency powers. This allows the government to increase domestic intelligence and surveillance of U.S. citizens and would restrict the freedom of movement within the United States and grant the government the right to isolate large groups of civilians. The National Guard could be federalized to seal all borders and take control of U.S. air space and all ports of entry.
These are just a few of the Executive Orders associated with FEMA that would suspend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These Executive Orders have been on record for nearly 30 years and could be enacted by the stroke of a Presidential pen
Several times in the past, FEMA stood ready for action.
For example, in April of 1984 President Reagan signed a directive that became a secret national “exercise” called REX 84. It was to test FEMA’s readiness in the event of a state of domestic emergency concurrent with a direct U.S. military operation in Central America. The plan called for U.S. military and National Guard units to be deputized and used for domestic law enforcement purposes. These units were to conduct domestic sweeps and round up an estimated 400,000 undocumented Central American immigrants in the USA. The immigrants were to be interned at 10 FEMA detention centers set up around the country.
In the 1990s, FEMA put mechanisms in place to override state and local jurisdictions during the Desert Storm operation in Iraq and the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles.
We are no longer a democracy with checks and balances. We are a virtual dictatorship at the whim of the President. And when an “emergency” hits the fan, we will be treated like sheep, the more vocal of whom being confined to one of the FEMA concentration camps.
The current Obama administration is attempting to centralize health care into the hands of the federal government, they are attempting to dictate salary levels in the private sector, they are attempting to gain control of the contents of the Internet, they are attempting to silence media voices of dissent, they are attempting to remove guns from private citizens, they are attempting to control the climate, and so forth. They have thrust this country into so much national debt that every citizen will be obligated to indemnify their reckless spending with the fruits of their labor for decades to come. And it won’t be a huge surprise if somewhere down the line they will attempt to implant a computer chip into all of their subjects in order to properly monitor and control them.
Isn’t it curious how so many things seem to be a crisis or an emergency these days. And isn’t it curious how so many of these events appear to be caused by those who are now attempting to correct them.
We are being enslaved one step at a time.
Wake up.
___________
Quote for the Day -- "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." George Washington
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and the Ghost of Davy Crockett. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
A Presidential Executive Order becomes law simply by being published in the Federal Registry. Congress is not involved in the process.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created during the Nixon Administration. FEMA has been given responsibility for disasters, including weather-related incidents, forest fires, nuclear or toxic incidents, urban riots, home heating emergencies, refugee problems, etc.
FEMA, under Executive Order 12148, is to interface with the Department of Defense for civil defense planning and funding. An "emergency czar" was appointed. FEMA has only spent about 6 percent of its budget on national emergencies. The bulk of their funding has been used for the construction of secret underground facilities to assure continuity of government in case of a major emergency, foreign or domestic, and to build FEMA facilities (detention camps) to house dissenters.
Over time, every President since Nixon has issued Executive Orders, bypassing Congress, that have centralized more power to control the citizens of the USA.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10990 -- allows the government to take over control of all highways and seaports.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10995 -- allows the government to seize and control the communication media.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10997 -- allows the government to take over all electrical power, gas, petroleum, fuels and minerals.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10998 -- allows the government to take over all food resources and farms.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10999 -- allows the government to take over all modes of transportation, private or public, including your car.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11000 -- allows the government to mobilize civilians into work brigades under government supervision.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11001 -- allows the government to take over all health, education and welfare functions.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11002 -- designates the Postmaster General to operate a national registration of all persons.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11003 -- allows the government to take over all airports and aircraft, including commercial aircraft.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11004 -- allows the Housing and Finance Authority to relocate communities, build new housing with public funds, designate areas to be abandoned, and establish new locations for populations.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11005 -- allows the government to take over railroads, inland waterways and public storage facilities.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11051 -- specifies the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Planning and gives authorization to put all Executive Orders into effect in times of increased international tensions and economic or financial crisis.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11310 -- grants authority to the Department of Justice to enforce the plans set out in Executive Orders, to institute industrial support, to establish judicial and legislative liaison, to control all aliens, to operate penal and correctional institutions, and to advise and assist the President.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11049 -- assigns emergency preparedness function to federal departments and agencies, consolidating 21 operative Executive Orders issued over a fifteen year period.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11921 -- allows the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency to develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in U.S. financial institution in any undefined national emergency. It also provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President, Congress cannot review the action for six months. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has broad powers in every aspect of the nation.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11990 -- appointed the National Security Council as the principal body that should consider emergency powers. This allows the government to increase domestic intelligence and surveillance of U.S. citizens and would restrict the freedom of movement within the United States and grant the government the right to isolate large groups of civilians. The National Guard could be federalized to seal all borders and take control of U.S. air space and all ports of entry.
These are just a few of the Executive Orders associated with FEMA that would suspend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These Executive Orders have been on record for nearly 30 years and could be enacted by the stroke of a Presidential pen
Several times in the past, FEMA stood ready for action.
For example, in April of 1984 President Reagan signed a directive that became a secret national “exercise” called REX 84. It was to test FEMA’s readiness in the event of a state of domestic emergency concurrent with a direct U.S. military operation in Central America. The plan called for U.S. military and National Guard units to be deputized and used for domestic law enforcement purposes. These units were to conduct domestic sweeps and round up an estimated 400,000 undocumented Central American immigrants in the USA. The immigrants were to be interned at 10 FEMA detention centers set up around the country.
In the 1990s, FEMA put mechanisms in place to override state and local jurisdictions during the Desert Storm operation in Iraq and the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles.
We are no longer a democracy with checks and balances. We are a virtual dictatorship at the whim of the President. And when an “emergency” hits the fan, we will be treated like sheep, the more vocal of whom being confined to one of the FEMA concentration camps.
The current Obama administration is attempting to centralize health care into the hands of the federal government, they are attempting to dictate salary levels in the private sector, they are attempting to gain control of the contents of the Internet, they are attempting to silence media voices of dissent, they are attempting to remove guns from private citizens, they are attempting to control the climate, and so forth. They have thrust this country into so much national debt that every citizen will be obligated to indemnify their reckless spending with the fruits of their labor for decades to come. And it won’t be a huge surprise if somewhere down the line they will attempt to implant a computer chip into all of their subjects in order to properly monitor and control them.
Isn’t it curious how so many things seem to be a crisis or an emergency these days. And isn’t it curious how so many of these events appear to be caused by those who are now attempting to correct them.
We are being enslaved one step at a time.
Wake up.
___________
Quote for the Day -- "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." George Washington
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and the Ghost of Davy Crockett. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Converting to Islam
In the year 610 AD, the prophet Muhammed received a divine message from Allah. He was commanded, by Allah, to start a new religion called Islam. Over the next 22 years, Muhammed spoke for Allah and the Muslim empire overtook the Arabian Peninsula.
After Muhammed's death, the Muslim empire continued to expand over the centuries. Muslim expansionism and indoctrination by force has been taking place now for 1,400 years.
These days, there exists a radical Islamic organization called Al-Qaeda, ostensibly led by Osama bin Laden, with the stated objective of exterminating Infidels (non-Muslims) from the face of the Earth and creating a global Islamic Empire.
On Sept. 2, 2006, Al Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, issued a videotape to "all Americans and unbelievers" announcing that "God sent his prophet Muhammad with the religion of truth" and that it was his duty as a Muslim to give the enemy a chance to convert to Islam or face the wrath of his merry band of terrorists.
Gee whiz, I thought. All I have to do is wrap a towel around my head, change my name to Booga Booga Mujaminkuvwxyz and bow to the East a couple of times a day to get this nut job off my back. No big deal.
So I made a few notes, in the form of a multiple choice quiz, just to see if I wanted to go through with it.
1) In 1972, athletes at the Munich Olympics were kidnapped and killed by:
A) Jehovah Witnesses
B) The Salvation Army
C) Keebler Elves
D) Meals on Wheels
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
2) In 1979, the US Embassy in Iran was taken over by:
A) Boston Red Socks
B) Detroit Red Wings
C) Chicago White Socks
D) Knights in White Satin
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
3) In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
A) Sergeant Pepper
B) Captain Kangaroo
C) General Electric
D) King Kong
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
4) In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up by:
A) Mr. Clean
B) Dr. Phil
C) Judge Judy
D) Uncle Ben
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
5) In 1993, the World Trade Center was originally bombed by:
A) Albert Einstein
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Carl Jung
D) Monty Python
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
6) In 1998, the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
A) Simon & Shuster
B) Thelma & Louise
C) Johnson & Johnson
D) H & R Block
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
7) On September 11, 2001, four airliners were hijacked and flown into crowded buildings by:
A) The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
B) The Boy Scouts of America
C) The Cleveland Cavaliers
D) The Grateful Dead
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
8) In 2002, reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
A) Bruce Wayne
B) Clark Kent
C) Betty Crocker
D) Whoopi Goldberg
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
9) In 2003-2009, scores of suicide bombers perpetrated mass murders by:
A) Apache Indians
B) Jedi Warriors
C) Moody Blues
D) Dixie Chicks
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
The first thing I realized was that these radical Islamic terrorists seemed to be up to a lot of mischief and I really didn't want any part of it. Oh sure, it would be fun to slaughter Infidels but some of them might fight back.
It also occurred to me that if I were to join this collection of pinheads I would be eligible to be greeted by 72 virgins in the next world. This sounded very tempting at first, but I soon realized I could only handle about 11 or 12 virgins at any one time.
So I decided not to convert to Islam and take my chances in the boondocks of America. Islam may be Al-Qaeda's vision of eternal bliss, but I'll stick with freedom of (from) religion instead.
If you value anything more than freedom, you will lose your freedom. If you value security or money or comfort more than freedom, you will lose it too. None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. And those who would give up freedom for security are entitled to neither.
Live free or die.
___________
Quote for the Day – “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” Patrick Henry
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where the price of freedom is an independent attitude. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
After Muhammed's death, the Muslim empire continued to expand over the centuries. Muslim expansionism and indoctrination by force has been taking place now for 1,400 years.
These days, there exists a radical Islamic organization called Al-Qaeda, ostensibly led by Osama bin Laden, with the stated objective of exterminating Infidels (non-Muslims) from the face of the Earth and creating a global Islamic Empire.
On Sept. 2, 2006, Al Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, issued a videotape to "all Americans and unbelievers" announcing that "God sent his prophet Muhammad with the religion of truth" and that it was his duty as a Muslim to give the enemy a chance to convert to Islam or face the wrath of his merry band of terrorists.
Gee whiz, I thought. All I have to do is wrap a towel around my head, change my name to Booga Booga Mujaminkuvwxyz and bow to the East a couple of times a day to get this nut job off my back. No big deal.
So I made a few notes, in the form of a multiple choice quiz, just to see if I wanted to go through with it.
1) In 1972, athletes at the Munich Olympics were kidnapped and killed by:
A) Jehovah Witnesses
B) The Salvation Army
C) Keebler Elves
D) Meals on Wheels
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
2) In 1979, the US Embassy in Iran was taken over by:
A) Boston Red Socks
B) Detroit Red Wings
C) Chicago White Socks
D) Knights in White Satin
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
3) In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
A) Sergeant Pepper
B) Captain Kangaroo
C) General Electric
D) King Kong
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
4) In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up by:
A) Mr. Clean
B) Dr. Phil
C) Judge Judy
D) Uncle Ben
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
5) In 1993, the World Trade Center was originally bombed by:
A) Albert Einstein
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Carl Jung
D) Monty Python
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
6) In 1998, the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
A) Simon & Shuster
B) Thelma & Louise
C) Johnson & Johnson
D) H & R Block
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
7) On September 11, 2001, four airliners were hijacked and flown into crowded buildings by:
A) The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
B) The Boy Scouts of America
C) The Cleveland Cavaliers
D) The Grateful Dead
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
8) In 2002, reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
A) Bruce Wayne
B) Clark Kent
C) Betty Crocker
D) Whoopi Goldberg
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
9) In 2003-2009, scores of suicide bombers perpetrated mass murders by:
A) Apache Indians
B) Jedi Warriors
C) Moody Blues
D) Dixie Chicks
E) Radical Islamic Terrorists
The first thing I realized was that these radical Islamic terrorists seemed to be up to a lot of mischief and I really didn't want any part of it. Oh sure, it would be fun to slaughter Infidels but some of them might fight back.
It also occurred to me that if I were to join this collection of pinheads I would be eligible to be greeted by 72 virgins in the next world. This sounded very tempting at first, but I soon realized I could only handle about 11 or 12 virgins at any one time.
So I decided not to convert to Islam and take my chances in the boondocks of America. Islam may be Al-Qaeda's vision of eternal bliss, but I'll stick with freedom of (from) religion instead.
If you value anything more than freedom, you will lose your freedom. If you value security or money or comfort more than freedom, you will lose it too. None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. And those who would give up freedom for security are entitled to neither.
Live free or die.
___________
Quote for the Day – “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” Patrick Henry
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where the price of freedom is an independent attitude. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Spiritual Journey
Man is a religious animal, the only religious animal, and he has many religions at his disposal. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and is tempted to cut his throat if his theology differs. He has spilled vast quantities of blood across the globe while trying to bring heaven to his fellow man.
Every few years, usually on a Saturday morning while I’m still sleeping, a couple of well-groomed strangers will knock on my front door and smile at me in a failed effort to make me feel at ease. Then they’ll attempt to hand me some literature while uttering some gibberish about Armageddon and the End of Days and the Rapture.
Before they get very far in their verbal diatribe, my dog will invariably snarl at them. In fact, these are the only two-legged beings my dog will ever snarl at. Apparently, he is very good at sensing evil.
My first reaction is an overwhelming urge to explain to them how downright rude it is to knock on the door of a stranger under the assumption that they are properly spiritual and that their task in life is to bring everyone else up to their lofty level of understanding. Instead, I will abruptly tell them, “No thanks, I do not care to join your cult” and close the door in their face without slamming it too hard or accepting their literature.
There are a multitude of spiritual paths, including numerous religions, conceived by the human race.
AGNOSTICISM: The view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable. They do not believe in the existence or the nonexistence of a God or gods. They simply don't know.
ANIMISM: Considered to be the original human religion, as practiced by aboriginal and native cultures. They believe in multiple gods and the existence of spiritual beings. Animals, plants and celestial bodies have spirits.
ATHIEISM: There is no such thing as a supreme deity. To believe in God is to have blind faith (wishful thinking) in something that can't be proven to exist, therefore it's only logical to assume it doesn't exist.
BUDDHISM: The essence of existence is suffering. The cause of suffering is pleasure of the senses. You grow through meditation. To end the suffering one must give up the craving for pleasure (both joy and sorrow).
CHINESE TRADITIONAL RELIGION: A combination of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Although Communist laws prohibit religion, an estimated 350 million people still practice this divergent faith privately.
CHRISTIANITY: Through a wide variety of differing denominations and practices, they believe Jesus Christ was the son of God who came into being through an immaculate conception and was crucified for their sins.
GNOSTICISM: God is found within the self as well as outside the self. The soul suffers in this delusional, evil world. Each person has a divine counterpart watching over us. Essential spiritual knowledge comes from within.
HINDUISM: Human and animal spirits reincarnate, returning to earth many times in different forms. Your devotion goes to the god you choose. You go up and down a Karmic hierarchy while seeking Nirvana.
ISLAM: There is one true God named Allah. Their doctrine is the Koran, written by Muhammad, and they must pray five times per day. Those who follow Allah will go to paradise, those who don't will go to hell.
JUDAISM: The world was created by an all-knowing divinity and all things were designed to have purpose. God's will was revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai and the Torah regulates how humans are to live their lives.
PAGANISM: Pagan means “of the country” or rustic or heathen. It adheres to the religions of classical antiquity, such as Greek mythology. Sub-categories include polytheism, pantheism and shamanism.
WICCAN: A nature-based duo-theistic system that started as sorcery or witchcraft. They worship a Goddess and a God, have a basic code of morality, believe in magic and celebrate eight seasonal festivals per year.
OTHERS: Other belief systems (# of followers) include: Secular (1.1 billion), Primal-indigenous (300 million), African Traditional (100 million), Sikhism (23 million), Spiritism (15 million), Baha'i (7 million), Janeism (4.2 million), Shinto (4 million), Cao Dia (4 million), Zoroastrianism (2.6 million), Tennkyo (2 million), Neo-Paganism (1 million), Unitarian-Universalism (800,000), Rastafariansim (600,000), Scientology (500.000) and so on.
And within each category above, sub-groups abound. For example, Christianity has many offshoots. Some believe Jesus Christ was divine and others believe he was a mortal human. Some believe John the Baptist was the true messiah and Jesus Christ was a false prophet. Some believe Mary Magdalene was the true messiah and crucified on the cross, only to be replaced historically by a male figure later. Some believe Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene faked the crucifixion and fled to France. Some believe Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene faked the crucifixion whereupon Mary Magdalene fled to France with their children while Jesus journeyed to India. And so forth.
One thing for certain, the history of religion is a history of horrific wars and bloodshed and torture and injustice and subjugation.
For some, a specific religion manifests a sense of superiority, no doubt overcoming a sense of inferiority. And far too often organized religion has become organized bigotry.
There are those who believe their particular religion is the true path to divine salvation and assume the world would be a better place if everyone believed as they believe. They may even knock on your door to enlist you into their narrow-minded realm of truth.
Some religious zealots will not rest until the world adopts their beliefs. Even in these enlightened times, certain religious zealots feel an obligation to exterminate those who do not follow their path, to be rewarded for their bloody deeds in the afterlife.
Life is a journey. Many people get stuck in the trap of seeking pleasure or riches, but once you start the spiritual aspect of your journey your self-indulgence is replaced with simple pleasures (a beautiful sunset) and a sensible lifestyle (living within your means) as the glory of your spiritual awakening becomes far more rewarding.
Being whole isn't a matter of having money or fun; it's a matter of appreciating your existence.
Your spiritual journey is a profound individual experience of everlasting discovery. While you may rejoice in this discovery, your personal religious principles should remain personal, especially on sleepy Saturday mornings.
Treating others as you wish to be treated includes tolerating other points of view.
A belief is a blind trust in something that has not been proven. One person’s belief system is another person’s pile of garbage. Keep it to yourself.
When we blindly adopt a religion we cease to grow.
___________
Quote for the Day – “We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.” H.L. Mencken
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where truth is a daily dose of spiritual awakening. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
Every few years, usually on a Saturday morning while I’m still sleeping, a couple of well-groomed strangers will knock on my front door and smile at me in a failed effort to make me feel at ease. Then they’ll attempt to hand me some literature while uttering some gibberish about Armageddon and the End of Days and the Rapture.
Before they get very far in their verbal diatribe, my dog will invariably snarl at them. In fact, these are the only two-legged beings my dog will ever snarl at. Apparently, he is very good at sensing evil.
My first reaction is an overwhelming urge to explain to them how downright rude it is to knock on the door of a stranger under the assumption that they are properly spiritual and that their task in life is to bring everyone else up to their lofty level of understanding. Instead, I will abruptly tell them, “No thanks, I do not care to join your cult” and close the door in their face without slamming it too hard or accepting their literature.
There are a multitude of spiritual paths, including numerous religions, conceived by the human race.
AGNOSTICISM: The view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable. They do not believe in the existence or the nonexistence of a God or gods. They simply don't know.
ANIMISM: Considered to be the original human religion, as practiced by aboriginal and native cultures. They believe in multiple gods and the existence of spiritual beings. Animals, plants and celestial bodies have spirits.
ATHIEISM: There is no such thing as a supreme deity. To believe in God is to have blind faith (wishful thinking) in something that can't be proven to exist, therefore it's only logical to assume it doesn't exist.
BUDDHISM: The essence of existence is suffering. The cause of suffering is pleasure of the senses. You grow through meditation. To end the suffering one must give up the craving for pleasure (both joy and sorrow).
CHINESE TRADITIONAL RELIGION: A combination of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Although Communist laws prohibit religion, an estimated 350 million people still practice this divergent faith privately.
CHRISTIANITY: Through a wide variety of differing denominations and practices, they believe Jesus Christ was the son of God who came into being through an immaculate conception and was crucified for their sins.
GNOSTICISM: God is found within the self as well as outside the self. The soul suffers in this delusional, evil world. Each person has a divine counterpart watching over us. Essential spiritual knowledge comes from within.
HINDUISM: Human and animal spirits reincarnate, returning to earth many times in different forms. Your devotion goes to the god you choose. You go up and down a Karmic hierarchy while seeking Nirvana.
ISLAM: There is one true God named Allah. Their doctrine is the Koran, written by Muhammad, and they must pray five times per day. Those who follow Allah will go to paradise, those who don't will go to hell.
JUDAISM: The world was created by an all-knowing divinity and all things were designed to have purpose. God's will was revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai and the Torah regulates how humans are to live their lives.
PAGANISM: Pagan means “of the country” or rustic or heathen. It adheres to the religions of classical antiquity, such as Greek mythology. Sub-categories include polytheism, pantheism and shamanism.
WICCAN: A nature-based duo-theistic system that started as sorcery or witchcraft. They worship a Goddess and a God, have a basic code of morality, believe in magic and celebrate eight seasonal festivals per year.
OTHERS: Other belief systems (# of followers) include: Secular (1.1 billion), Primal-indigenous (300 million), African Traditional (100 million), Sikhism (23 million), Spiritism (15 million), Baha'i (7 million), Janeism (4.2 million), Shinto (4 million), Cao Dia (4 million), Zoroastrianism (2.6 million), Tennkyo (2 million), Neo-Paganism (1 million), Unitarian-Universalism (800,000), Rastafariansim (600,000), Scientology (500.000) and so on.
And within each category above, sub-groups abound. For example, Christianity has many offshoots. Some believe Jesus Christ was divine and others believe he was a mortal human. Some believe John the Baptist was the true messiah and Jesus Christ was a false prophet. Some believe Mary Magdalene was the true messiah and crucified on the cross, only to be replaced historically by a male figure later. Some believe Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene faked the crucifixion and fled to France. Some believe Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene faked the crucifixion whereupon Mary Magdalene fled to France with their children while Jesus journeyed to India. And so forth.
One thing for certain, the history of religion is a history of horrific wars and bloodshed and torture and injustice and subjugation.
For some, a specific religion manifests a sense of superiority, no doubt overcoming a sense of inferiority. And far too often organized religion has become organized bigotry.
There are those who believe their particular religion is the true path to divine salvation and assume the world would be a better place if everyone believed as they believe. They may even knock on your door to enlist you into their narrow-minded realm of truth.
Some religious zealots will not rest until the world adopts their beliefs. Even in these enlightened times, certain religious zealots feel an obligation to exterminate those who do not follow their path, to be rewarded for their bloody deeds in the afterlife.
Life is a journey. Many people get stuck in the trap of seeking pleasure or riches, but once you start the spiritual aspect of your journey your self-indulgence is replaced with simple pleasures (a beautiful sunset) and a sensible lifestyle (living within your means) as the glory of your spiritual awakening becomes far more rewarding.
Being whole isn't a matter of having money or fun; it's a matter of appreciating your existence.
Your spiritual journey is a profound individual experience of everlasting discovery. While you may rejoice in this discovery, your personal religious principles should remain personal, especially on sleepy Saturday mornings.
Treating others as you wish to be treated includes tolerating other points of view.
A belief is a blind trust in something that has not been proven. One person’s belief system is another person’s pile of garbage. Keep it to yourself.
When we blindly adopt a religion we cease to grow.
___________
Quote for the Day – “We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.” H.L. Mencken
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where truth is a daily dose of spiritual awakening. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Stalking the Elusive Fnord
Chaos is an inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a natural system or in the course of human events.
Discordianism is a belief system based on chaos. Some people believe it's a joke disguised as a religion, and others believe it's a religion disguised as a joke. The true believers claim it's a religion disguised as a joke disguised as a religion. While most religions cherish harmony and order, Discordianism reveres chaos, which it contends is the prevailing impulse of the universe. "There is serenity in chaos. Seek ye the eye of the hurricane."
The PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA, by Malaclypse (a.k.a. Greg Hall), is the foundational document of Discordianism. It describes an ideal society where there are no rules. The duality of yin and yang are replaced with "Hodge" and "Podge," represented by an apple and the pentagon. Some of the Saints include Don Quixote and Yossarian.
The PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA, also introduced the mysterious word "fnord," considered to be a nonsensical term meaning irrelevant information or disinformation intended to misdirect, with the implication of a conspiracy.
In THE ILLUMINATI TRILOGY, a series of novels by Robert Anton Wilson (with Robert Shea), the term "fnord" was further revealed to be part of a grand conspiracy scheme by the Illuminati (meaning "the illuminated ones" -- the secret wealthy rulers of the world) whereby children in grade school are taught to be consciously unable to see the fnord (not the actual word itself but a substitute word or phrase, always in print form).
Thereafter, every appearance of the substitute (consciously unseen) word or phrase creates a subconscious feeling of confusion and stifles rational thought. Fnords are placed within news media text, causing anxiety about current events. The Illuminati want society in perpetual chaos in order to maintain conformity and control.
However, there are no fnords in advertising, thus encouraging consumerism and enriching the ruling class.
The word "fnord" has also recently been adopted within computer Internet circles to mean something out of context, such as a random sentence, irrational text or anything out of context, intentional or otherwise.
On the other hand, you have different fingers.
The previous sentence was a fnord, which subconsciously compels one to idolize the author of this piece.
Robert Anton Wilson was born in New York City in 1932. He attended Brooklyn Polytechnical College and New York University where he studied mathematics and engineering. He worked as an engineering aide, salesman, copywriter, and was an associate editor for Playboy magazine from 1965 to 1971. He was also a philosopher, psychologist, researcher, novelist, essayist, futurist, anarchist, and a stalker of the elusive fnord.
Wilson was the author of 35 books, including THE ILLUMINATI TRILOGY, covering such topics as metaphysics, paranormal experiences, extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, quantum psychology and conspiracy theory.
At the core of his literary genius, he considered the basic condition of humanity to be both comic and tragic. "Serious people are always so grim and uptight that they make me want to dance naked on the lawn playing the flute... nothing is true unless it makes you laugh, but you really don't understand it until it makes you cry."
Wilson ran for governor of California in 2004 as the Guns and Dope Party candidate. The party platform was:
1) Guns for those who want them, no guns forced on those who don't want them.
2) Drugs for those who want them, no drugs forced on those who don't want them.
3) An end to Tsarism [rule by emperor] and a return to constitutional democracy.
4) Equal rights for ostriches [large birds incapable of flight that stick their heads in the sand to avoid reality].
Robert Anton Wilson confronted the fnord and found the true meaning within it. He died on January 11, 2007.
His last words, typed on his personal website, were, "I don't see how to take death seriously. I look forward without dogmatic optimism, but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying."
Ultimately, a fnord is the mumbo jumbo that dissolves the individual into the crowd.
E Pluribus Unum.
Secret societies have existed since the beginning of recorded history. The Illuminati was officially founded on May 1, 1776, by Adam Weishaupt in Bavaria. Its true leader was Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who created the Rothschild financial dynasty. The French Revolution was one of their many covert operations, disguised as freedom for the people.
These days, the term “Illuminati” is used to refer to an inter-breeding, close-knit bloodline of Global Elitists in high places behind the scene who covertly manipulate outcomes all around the world. Thus, the “Illuminated Ones” have advanced knowledge of future events.
The true rulers of the world today are a small group of banking houses called “International Bankers” – Rothschild, Rockefeller, etc. They lend money to governments and exert ultimate power over them for their own selfish interests. They control executive officers, legislative bodies, mainstream media, monetary systems, education, and instigate global conflict to further their cause (divide and conquer, appropriate and control).
Their goal is a one-world government with them at the helm. And they don’t take kindly to those who refuse to submit quietly to being enslaved.
Robert Anton Wilson was one of many who have sounded the alarm.
The purpose of government is to ensure the freedom of the individual within a level playing field, not to meet in secrecy to scheme ways to enrich and empower themselves.
Equal rights for ostriches.
___________
Quote for the Day – “Out of these troubled times, a New World Order can emerge.” George Herbert Walker Bush
___________
Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where equal rights for ostriches is the norm. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
___________
-
-
Discordianism is a belief system based on chaos. Some people believe it's a joke disguised as a religion, and others believe it's a religion disguised as a joke. The true believers claim it's a religion disguised as a joke disguised as a religion. While most religions cherish harmony and order, Discordianism reveres chaos, which it contends is the prevailing impulse of the universe. "There is serenity in chaos. Seek ye the eye of the hurricane."
The PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA, by Malaclypse (a.k.a. Greg Hall), is the foundational document of Discordianism. It describes an ideal society where there are no rules. The duality of yin and yang are replaced with "Hodge" and "Podge," represented by an apple and the pentagon. Some of the Saints include Don Quixote and Yossarian.
The PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA, also introduced the mysterious word "fnord," considered to be a nonsensical term meaning irrelevant information or disinformation intended to misdirect, with the implication of a conspiracy.
In THE ILLUMINATI TRILOGY, a series of novels by Robert Anton Wilson (with Robert Shea), the term "fnord" was further revealed to be part of a grand conspiracy scheme by the Illuminati (meaning "the illuminated ones" -- the secret wealthy rulers of the world) whereby children in grade school are taught to be consciously unable to see the fnord (not the actual word itself but a substitute word or phrase, always in print form).
Thereafter, every appearance of the substitute (consciously unseen) word or phrase creates a subconscious feeling of confusion and stifles rational thought. Fnords are placed within news media text, causing anxiety about current events. The Illuminati want society in perpetual chaos in order to maintain conformity and control.
However, there are no fnords in advertising, thus encouraging consumerism and enriching the ruling class.
The word "fnord" has also recently been adopted within computer Internet circles to mean something out of context, such as a random sentence, irrational text or anything out of context, intentional or otherwise.
On the other hand, you have different fingers.
The previous sentence was a fnord, which subconsciously compels one to idolize the author of this piece.
Robert Anton Wilson was born in New York City in 1932. He attended Brooklyn Polytechnical College and New York University where he studied mathematics and engineering. He worked as an engineering aide, salesman, copywriter, and was an associate editor for Playboy magazine from 1965 to 1971. He was also a philosopher, psychologist, researcher, novelist, essayist, futurist, anarchist, and a stalker of the elusive fnord.
Wilson was the author of 35 books, including THE ILLUMINATI TRILOGY, covering such topics as metaphysics, paranormal experiences, extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, quantum psychology and conspiracy theory.
At the core of his literary genius, he considered the basic condition of humanity to be both comic and tragic. "Serious people are always so grim and uptight that they make me want to dance naked on the lawn playing the flute... nothing is true unless it makes you laugh, but you really don't understand it until it makes you cry."
Wilson ran for governor of California in 2004 as the Guns and Dope Party candidate. The party platform was:
1) Guns for those who want them, no guns forced on those who don't want them.
2) Drugs for those who want them, no drugs forced on those who don't want them.
3) An end to Tsarism [rule by emperor] and a return to constitutional democracy.
4) Equal rights for ostriches [large birds incapable of flight that stick their heads in the sand to avoid reality].
Robert Anton Wilson confronted the fnord and found the true meaning within it. He died on January 11, 2007.
His last words, typed on his personal website, were, "I don't see how to take death seriously. I look forward without dogmatic optimism, but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying."
Ultimately, a fnord is the mumbo jumbo that dissolves the individual into the crowd.
E Pluribus Unum.
Secret societies have existed since the beginning of recorded history. The Illuminati was officially founded on May 1, 1776, by Adam Weishaupt in Bavaria. Its true leader was Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who created the Rothschild financial dynasty. The French Revolution was one of their many covert operations, disguised as freedom for the people.
These days, the term “Illuminati” is used to refer to an inter-breeding, close-knit bloodline of Global Elitists in high places behind the scene who covertly manipulate outcomes all around the world. Thus, the “Illuminated Ones” have advanced knowledge of future events.
The true rulers of the world today are a small group of banking houses called “International Bankers” – Rothschild, Rockefeller, etc. They lend money to governments and exert ultimate power over them for their own selfish interests. They control executive officers, legislative bodies, mainstream media, monetary systems, education, and instigate global conflict to further their cause (divide and conquer, appropriate and control).
Their goal is a one-world government with them at the helm. And they don’t take kindly to those who refuse to submit quietly to being enslaved.
Robert Anton Wilson was one of many who have sounded the alarm.
The purpose of government is to ensure the freedom of the individual within a level playing field, not to meet in secrecy to scheme ways to enrich and empower themselves.
Equal rights for ostriches.
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Quote for the Day – “Out of these troubled times, a New World Order can emerge.” George Herbert Walker Bush
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Bret Burquest is an award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where equal rights for ostriches is the norm. His blogs appear on several websites, including www.myspace.com/bret1111
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