War

It looks like Iraq is taking a backseat to Israel's antics. And as usual the civilians are the ones getting killed, more so than the fighters. It is all sectarian violence at this time, even with Israel. It is clear that the so called leaders of terrorist organizations have little control over their fighters. Therefore the fighting will continue. There are no winners in this problem, they are not going to win the wars, it just continues.

Oil Posts Record Profits......Again

Second quarter profits for oil companies reach record levels again. The first thing I heard was oil co's justifying it. They were per-tax dollars yada, yada, yada. Well, I'm sure with all the tax breaks and shelters, I doubt if they paid any taxes. Then it was that they were going to invest more in exploration, supposedly they already are. Profits are just that, what's left after the bills are paid!!!! Where are our politicians now? We always hear how good our economy is, and how many jobs were created, well how many jobs were lost in the same period! The oligopoly of oil companies will cause some serious problems in this country and our politicians are letting it happen. When oils prices go up, so does literally everything else, eventually. The only ones who really benefit from oil prices are the CEO's, the politicians, and the investors. So it looks like the price of oil they process has nothing to do with that cost of what they pay, if it did, their profits would not be as high.
It seems to me that oils prices have more to do with the security of the US than the terrorists. The middle class of Americans are taking a beating all the way around, from medical prices, to wages, to retirement! Soon there will be two classes of people, the rich and the poor. And believe me the rich won't take care of the poor.
I will provide an example: Today, I was talking to a retired GM executive, I mentioned the lay-offs at GM, and he stated that he didn't care as long as the stock prices kept rising, and the more they lay-off the more money he would make. This person's family has money also, he gets 30,000 per year from his father's millions, as does the rest of the family. His father is still living. It must be nice to not be too affected by external things, to have a life that says "it's all about me", not the world.

This Week

Well folks another week that sucked!! My bursitis in the elbow just getting worse, need surgery next weds on carpal tunnel. It is on the same hand so the hope is that as hand heals, so will the elbow. Bad news is work will fight it as it is work related. Then the little puppy we got a month ago bit wife's ankle and she pulled it away and needed nine stitches, then she got heat related edema in her feet.
Life isn't all bad, we are finally getting some rain!!!! We have drought conditions and is sorely needed. Attended grand daughters 9th birthday today, and went to visit Shutterwi's mom for a bit, the bad part is that she is leaving soon, always miss her when she is gone, some people certainly adds to life, and she is one of them!!

This Week

Well folks they world has just gotten worse this week, fighting, war, innocents dying, and to make things worse we are in a drought here in northern WI.
The Islamics in Somalia have declared a "holy war", Hezbollah, hamas, Shiites, Sunnis, have all gone nuts. I have been thinking that even if one of the islamic extremist groups could rule the world, convert all of us, that we would still be killing each other. They really don't have religious, and political goals, they may say they do, but in reality they don't. Their real goal is to disrupt stability in the world. There would always be some reason to kill. I think it has become a way to make a living, take what you need from someone who has anything. That's why innocents will keep being killed, and why it keeps expanding.
Countries that these groups are in allow it because they are afraid to offend on religious grounds, protect there mosques while they use them for refuge to wage war. It just doesn't make sense to me. All countries need to stop them or the cancer of their twisted beliefs will grow. The countries that shelter them are not immune to their crimes against humanity either, if they are there, killing will start, you can bet money on it.
Their so called leaders have as much control over their followers as they have over their own bodily functions. Everyone does as they please, kill and pillage. They have no respect for life, their own or anyone elses. The leaders promise them 27 celestial virgins if they die in their cause, brain washing pure and simple.
Then there are perhaps millions of Islamics who are standing by and not protesting their wayward counterparts, so they are complicit in this also.
If I had my way I would put them on an island and let them kill each other, as they would, just as the gangs in the US do. I really don't care what another persons beliefs are, anyone can run off at the mouth all they want, but terrorism is another thing. We have militant groups here also, they can say what they want, but if they began killing we wouldn't tolerate it. I guess thats why our prisons are full. They need to be stopped, how I'm not sure.

Last Night

Last night my wife, daughter and I had supper with Shutterwi and his family. His brother-in-law is a friend for most of my life, from grade school, church, highschool to present. It was good to talk about some of the town past. And to be a part of his family as well as my own. His mom is like my own. My mom passed away 4-5 years ago so she is like my own also. Of course no one can take my moms place, but ECM is as close as one can come.
My 20 yr old daughter was with us, and that says alot because she usually doesn't hang around with us "old foggies", but she liked it also. It was just what the doctor ordered and we all had a chance to unwind. Even had a chance to sneek in a couple hours more sleep than usual.

More War In The World

The whole middle east is posturing for more war, The Isrealis, Palistinians, Syria, Iran, India, Pakistan and Iraq. It seems the radicals of various sects are in fact causing unrest in the whole area, and all players are reacting.
It seems that the radical, militant extremists are at war with the world. They sucked us into Afghanistan and Iraq, now they are causing problems that could bring all out war to the world. I wish I had an answer to it but I don't. It's easy to say they should solve their differences peacefully, but they won't. All sides would need to agree to negotiate a peace, but all sides are not willing to look for a peaceful means, they seem to hold military options, or terror as the first line of defense. As long as this option is first, the wars will continue.
War and killing is bad, but if these people are determined to kill each other, then let them have at it, but it doesn't stop there, near countries are blamed and feel threatened, countries take sides and the whole mess escalates. If there are solutions I would sure like to know them, morals, common sense, and values don't work.
This mess will affect the world in ways we don't see right now, and not just in the cost of lives of these people. It brings instability to the world, between countries, economies, the works.
As I have said before, it is a global problem, it is about time that all counties stop supporting sectarian violence, and say enough. We can send spacecraft to distant planets, but we can't find a way, as neighbors to all get along. It seems we are no further ahead now than we were a couple thousand years ago. The only real difference is, now we can kill more people faster than before. What a legacy for the human race!

This Week

This week I started to read a book and finished it. It was given to me by my sister, she picked it because she thought I would be interested in it. She hasn't read the book. It's title is "Flag of Our Fathers". It is the best account of battle in WWII I have ever read. It is about the lives of the flag raisers on Iwo Jima, from childhood to present day. More importantly their roles in the battle of Iwo and their lives after that.
I have been depressed all week reading this account, complete with my own nightmares and sleeplessness. Why continue to read it to the finish one may ask, having this effect on me. Thats the hard question. I really can't answer that here or anywhere else for that matter, in a way most could understand anyway. But if anyone wants a peek at what the horrors of war can do to lives, one should read this book.
It was written by a son of one of the participants of the battle and flag raising. He had to research what he put on paper, his father refused to talk about it, ever, after he returned home. The father would only say "the real heroes died there" period. He died a few years ago and the son took up this factual information and put it out for us. If you read carefully it tells us a lot more about the governments, morals, attitude, and so much more on the war. I encourage you all to read it!

The sun in 3 color UV, using filters etc., showing sun spots and other sun activity. Speaking of the sun, today's Nasa APOD shows the sun directly in the east/west attitude in New York City streets, this only happens a few times per year, this is one of them.

Religion VS Science

This topic has been argued and debated for untold centuries. Hell, I suspect wars were fought over the topic.
Most people that are belivers in religion may have went to sunday school of some sort, maybe a church sponsored school, taught at home or whatever. Most have not studied the history of the bible or religion in general. But I have and I still believe. It comes down to a matter of faith, and thats why it's called faith. The bible has been altered over history as has religion, many times. But in the end there is no proof there is no god, just as surely as believers can not prove there is. Just as surely as there are no winners arguing about the topic.
I believe in science, I study it, think about it, and am awed by it. Just as I believe that not all scientific dicoveries have been good for us. If not for science we would still be plowing fields with wood, stone and bone tools. Our lives would be shorter, and damned sure not as good as now.
I choose to view many things as getting a peek at the intracacies that god has created, not just what science has found. Just because science has discovered something, does that mean god hasn't created it?
I think we as humans tend to have an either or thought process sometimes. Think back to when we lived in caves and fought our neighbors for food, land and power. Do you think just reasoning said it was a bad thing? What about cannibals, human sacrifices and all that? Who said war was a bad thing, killing others and enslaving people? I think the good things religion has given us has certainly has added to our growth as humans if we can call it that, or we would still be eating each other.
If for no other reason faith has given us rules for life and living, just as we have other laws, and they are there because if left to our own devices we would do what we want when we wanted to. Now we call it anti-social behavior, even criminal behavior. Why, because someone at some time or groups made rules, and punishment for breaking them, for the good of the whole.
Is there room for both science and religion? Yes! It's kind of like a system of checks and balances, or maybe we would begin to have four sets of eyes, not two, or just one big eye!

This Past Week

Shutterwi provided me with a pile of books on tape a few weeks ago, and I listen to them on my hour and a quarter drive each am. I am finished with them now so went back to listening to Public Radio for the round trip drives.
I got angry early in the week when listening to dubya telling us if we don't support the war in Iraq and his administrations decisions on our constitutional rights, that we are not patriotic and unamerican. Now that pissed me off royally! When none of his bull crap is accepted he waves old glory trying to guilt us into accepting all he does. Never mind that his cronies Chaney, Rice, and Rummy, have built an administration within an administration that they control. They have created several intelligence networks and use them over the CIA because they get the answers they want, not the stuff they should get. The prez uses signing statements, why, no one can figure out, but I am sure we will find out in the future.
The Vice Prez used the 1% rule to invade Iraq, when in fact I'd bet there was less than 1% chance that they would find WMD's. He wanted to invade plain and simple. Probably so his cronies in his past employment could make tons of money rebuilding, and all with no plan for what to do once we got there.
It is clear to me they have no real policy or plan other than try to kill the leaders and hope the rest will fall. Well, it isn't working! Things are getting hotter in Afghanistan as well. I wonder what the plan is there.
Now we have Iran and Korea to deal with. I am happy to see other countries pushing our leaders in the right direction. It seems that many countries, even those we once considered enemies, realize that what happens in the world is a global problem, not just a US problem.
I love this country, I would fight any time to protect it, but I resent the prez saying that those that disagree with their misguided policy are unamerican.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The four horsemen comes from the book of Revelation in the bible, they represent war, famine, pestilence, and death. Their horses are red, white, black and pale. And mean basically the same as the horsemen. Supposedly they will come in the end of times.
Thats why I called the current administration the four horsemen, even though they may actually be more like the north end of the south bound horses. Just some more trivia folks!

The Eskimo Nebulae

This is the Eskimo Nebulae, named because it looks like a head in a parka hood. Some more of the wonders of the universe. Scientists are not sure why it looks like it does, but have some idea. As always I encourage everyone to visit astronomical sites such as nasa apod, and space.com and go to the links on them to learn more of the universe. Most of what scientists discover here on earth takes place naturally in space. We are closely tied together and most people don't know it! What beauty and wonder, the golden streaks radiating out are light year long, thats 10 ten trillion miles folks!

More Thoughts

Yesterday I posted a couple of pics of this area on tribal land. There are no signs saying keep off or warnings. If you were to drive through the reservation you would never even know you went past these places. People who live here know the residents don't want us in certain places and we respect that, it's really that simple.
When I was a teen, we used to go to those places and it wasn't a problem. One of the beaches shown has what is known as concretions, wave action has rolled small rocks until they are round. Then it was called marble beach.
The pics were taken by friends who live on the reservation and are Native American. I have a brother and a sister who are married to Native Americans. I have many friends there and in fact studied the Native American language for 2 years, as well as Japanese for 3 years and Spanish for one. I have participated in many ceremonies on the different reservations and still practice what I have learned to some small degree.
Why did I study the culture and language one might ask? Well it wasn't because of marriage or friends. We live next to one another, it just made sense to me to understand their culture and way of life and beliefs. Also to understand where they came from and where they are going. In the past there was a lot of discrimination by white folks, and to some degree still exists, as well as discrimination by Native Americans towards us. In some small way my efforts has helped to bring more of us together as brothers on this planet. Mutual respect one might call it.

Tribal land looking east towards Upper Mich, beautiful sun rise on the big lake.

These photos are on Tribal land east of Ashland WI, looking east towards Upper Mich, and what is called the "big Lake". We live on a bay called Chequamegon Bay, the big lake is east of the Apostle Islands and is a broad stretch of water. This is a pristine area not many visit because it is Tribal land and for the most part off limits to us.

Misguided Patriotism?

Again I will ask any who read this blog, to visit the sites listed in my last post and send them to everyone you know. That's how important I think they are!
I have to ask myself if our leaders are misguided patriots, deluded, crazy, anti-social, paranoid or something else, maybe all of the above!
We have four people in power, Dubya, Cheney, Rummy and Condy, who I will call the "four horsemen of the apocalypse", directing a very dangerous orchestra in the world today. Dubya has given way too much power to Cheney, probably because he is pompous enough to believe he is delegating authority.
The "four horsemen" have brought shame to this country, and we are this country, so shame to us. The have lied not only to us, but the world. They have tried and at least partially succeeded in taking away our rights and all but destroying the constitution. And they aren't done yet. What don't we know?
The "four horsemen" want to play the "military option" first, in Iran and North Korea, not negotiations. Only after pressure from other world leaders did these four agree to talks with Iran. We have yet to see what outcome will happen with Korea. It seems the "four horsemen" don't get the picture, all that happens in the world is called a "global problem", especially when the threat of nuclear confrontation takes place. Are our leaders, including congress and the senate really that stupid? Our politics are the same as the sectarianism in Iraq, but we call it democrats and republicans. It's all about the political gain! And the price seems to be our constitution, and our leaders political "gain". Shame on our leaders, and shame on us for letting this take place!