Messages

I really couldn't care less about Jackson personally, but I do think he has major issues with children.  The bottom line is this:

He settled out of court in a child-abuse lawsuit for $25 million dollars.  I can tell you this much, if I were rich and someone accused me of sexually abusing a child and I were innocent, that's the LAST thing I would do.

Grey is right, these feelings are completely normal.  I have felt them myself, most do.  There are many theories as to why there is so much fear felt by projectors.  I don't necessarily believe in "forcing" the expereince to happen.  Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wanting to have it and meditating, etc.  but if you force it to happen then you are likely going to face more fear.  On the other hand, if you desire and naturally try to utilize energy work, then it generally can happen without all of the negative feelings.

I like this stuff...what program(s) do you use.  I really like "reunite"....cool mirror effects in the tree.

Keep posting more of them as you go.

-DT

Worm did dirty work at record-fast pace
Bloomberg Business News
SAN DIEGO -- Slammer was the fastest computer worm ever, researchers say, spreading to more than 67,000 computers around the world in 10 minutes on Jan. 25, closing bank machines, delaying flights and slowing Internet traffic.

The worm, a string of computer code that took advantage of a flaw in Microsoft Corp.'s server software, doubled in size every 8.5 seconds during the first minute, according to research published by the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis. In contrast, the Code Red worm took 37 minutes -- or more than 250 times as long -- to double, when it appeared in 2001.

Worms are similar to computer viruses in that both types of malicious code make copies of themselves. Worms propagate by attacking a system, while a virus spreads through the exchange of files. Once Slammer infected a computer, it scanned the Internet and sent copies of itself to other vulnerable servers.

Within 10 minutes, Slammer was able to scan 3.6 billion of the world's roughly 4 billion Internet addresses to seek out potential targets, Moore said.

The worm, also called Sapphire, looked for vulnerable computers at a pace of 55 million a second within three minutes of its appearance, slowing only because so much of the worldwide computer network lacked the capacity to allow it to spread as quickly as it could.

Half of all Internet signals weren't reaching their destination at the height of the attack.

I simply cannot understand the seeming obsession over these things...

It reminds me of a sotry that Paramahansa Yogananda told of a master in India who could do all kinds of little "miracles", ie. make things appear, make scents, etc.  In the end he was shunned by the true masters who didn't see any real good, practical, useful spiritual truths being taught to the followers.  It's more carnivalesque than anything else...and really a dangerous waste of time and resources.

First you must desire to "ascend", second you must find true messengers that will teach you what you need to do to improve, evolve and become "better".  Then, of course, you must do these things in order to slowly but surely move towards perfection, for this is really the ultimate goal...and with it comes a destiny too wondeful and powerful than I think any of us can imagine.

Here are just a few things I believe one must do in order to begin to "ascend":
1.  Know the true character of God
2.  Know your relation to this being
3.  KNow what you must do to become like Him
4.  Learn to love God and your fellow human beings
5.  Work to serve and help others

This is of course a simplistic explanation, but I believe that within it lie the answers to every question of existence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Boyd K. Packer, "The Mystery of Life," Ensign, Nov. 1983, 16

I want to tell you of an incident that happened many years ago. Two of our sons, then little boys, were wrestling on the rug, and they had reached that line which separates laughter from tears. So I worked my foot carefully between them and lifted the older one back to a sitting position on the rug. As I did so, I said, "Hey there, you little monkeys. You'd better settle down."

To my surprise he folded his little arms, his eyes swimming with deep hurt, and protested, "I not a monkey, Daddy, I a person!"

The years have not erased the overwhelming feeling of love I felt for my little sons. I was taught a profound lesson by my little boys. Many times over the years his words have slipped back into my mind, "I not a monkey, Daddy, I a person!" I was taught a profound lesson by my little boy.

Now the cycle of life has moved swiftly on, and both of those sons have little boys of their own, who teach their fathers lessons. They now watch their children grow as we watched them. They are coming to know something as fathers that they could not be taught as sons. Perhaps now they know how much their father loves them. Hopefully, they know as well why prayers begin "Our Father who art in heaven."

All too soon their children will be grown with little "persons" of their own, repeating the endless cycle of life.

There is on the West Coast a statue by Ernesto Gazzeri which depicts in marble that cycle of life. There are toddlers and children, teenagers, young lovers, the mature and the aged, gazing at a newborn baby. Two figures to the back, however, face away from the group. An aged couple, supporting one another, haltingly moves away from the family circle.

Persons enter life through mortal birth and, in due time, disappear through the veil of death. Most of them never sense why we are here.

Nothing is more obvious than what the statue represents, but the sculptor entitled it The Mystery of Life.

Occasionally, as at the time of birth, we pause in awe of what nature has to say. We see patterns of creation, so ordered and so beautiful as to sponsor deep feelings of reverence and humility. Then, just when we might discover the meaning of life, we are jerked back by the wild, uncontrolled things that humanity is doing to itself.

There are so many unanswered questions. Why the inequities in life?

Some are so rich.

Some so wretchedly poor.

Some so beautifully formed, and others with pitiful handicaps.

Some are gifted and others retarded.

Why the injustice, the untimely death? Why the neglect, the sorrow, the pain?

Why divorce, incest, perversion, abuse, and cruelty?

If there be order and meaning to life, they are hardly visible in what mortals do to one another and to themselves.

In counterpoint, we see love and devotion, sacrifice, faith, and humility; we see humanity in exalted expression of courage and heroism.

When at last the mystery of life is unraveled, what will be revealed?

I know a man who studied for the ministry. Then just before his ordination he dropped out because there were so many unanswered questions. He still regarded himself as a devout, if somewhat disillusioned, Christian. He found another profession, married, and was raising a family when our missionaries found him.

He made a very superficial study of the doctrines of the Church and found them tolerable enough. The fundamentals of Christianity were visible. But he was most interested in programs and activities that would benefit his family.

It was after he was baptized that he made the discovery of his life. To his surprise he found, underlying the programs of the Church, a solid foundation of doctrine. He had no idea of the depth and breadth and height of our theology. When once he moved from interest in the programs to a study of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he found answers which explained to his full satisfaction the deep questions that had left him unable to accept ordination as a clergyman.

One doctrine was completely new to him. Although he was a student of the Bible, he had not found it there until he read the other revelations. Then the Bible was clear to him and he understood.

The doctrine is so logical, so reasonable, and explains so many things, that it is a wonder that the Christian world rejected it. It is so essential a part of the equation of life that, left out, life just cannot add up, it remains a mystery.

The doctrine is simply this: life did not begin with mortal birth. We lived in spirit form before we entered mortality. We are spiritually the children of God.

This doctrine of premortal life was known to ancient Christians. For nearly five hundred years the doctrine was taught, but it was then rejected as a heresy by a clergy that had slipped into the Dark Ages of apostasy.

Once they rejected this doctrine, the doctrine of premortal life, and the doctrine of redemption for the dead, they could never unravel the mystery of life. They became like a man trying to assemble a strand of pearls on a string that was too short. There is no way they can put them all together.

Why is it so strange a thought that we lived as spirits before entering mortality? Christian doctrine proclaims the Resurrection, meaning that we will live after mortal death. If we live beyond death, why should it be strange that we lived before birth?

The Christian world in general accepts the idea that our condition in the Resurrection will be determined by our actions in this life. Why can they not believe that some circumstances in this life were determined by our actions before coming into mortality?

The scriptures teach this doctrine, the doctrine of premortal life. For His own reasons, the Lord provides answers to some questions, with pieces placed here and there throughout the scriptures. We are to find them; we are to earn them. In that way sacred things are hidden from the insincere.

Of the many verses revealing this doctrine, I will quote two short phrases from the testimony of John in the ninety-third section of the Doctrine and Covenants. The first, speaking of Christ, says plainly, "He was in the beginning, before the world was." (D&C 93:7.)

And the other, referring to us, says with equal clarity, "Ye were also in the beginning with the Father." (D&C 93:23.)

Essential facts about our premortal life have been revealed. Although they are sketchy, they unravel the mystery of life.

When we comprehend the doctrine of premortal life, we know that we are the children of God, that we lived with him in spirit form before entering mortality.

We know that this life is a test, that life did not begin with birth, nor will it end with death.

Then life begins to make sense, with meaning and purpose even in all of the chaotic mischief that mankind creates for itself.

Imagine that you are attending a football game. The teams seem evenly matched. One team has been trained to follow the rules; the other, to do just the opposite. They are committed to cheat and disobey every rule of sportsmanlike conduct.

While the game ends in a tie, it is determined that it must continue until one side wins decisively.

Soon the field is a quagmire.

Players on both sides are being ground into the mud. The cheating of the opposing team turns to brutality.

Players are carried off the field. Some have been injured critically; others, it is whispered, fatally. It ceases to be a game and becomes a battle.

You become very frustrated and upset. "Why let this go on? Neither team can win. It must be stopped."

Imagine that you confront the sponsor of the game and demand that he stop this useless, futile battle. You say it is senseless and without purpose. Has he no regard at all for the players?

He calmly replies that he will not call the game. You are mistaken. There is a great purpose in it. You have not understood.

He tells you that this is not a spectator sport—it is for the participants. It is for their sake that he permits the game to continue. Great benefit may come to them because of the challenges they face.

He points to players sitting on the bench, suited up, eager to enter the game. "When each one of them has been in, when each has met the day for which he has prepared so long and trained so hard, then, and only then, will I call the game."

Until then, it may not matter which team seems to be ahead. The present score is really not crucial. There are games within games, you know. Whatever is happening to the team, each player will have his day.

Those players on the team that keeps the rules will not be eternally disadvantaged by the appearance that their team somehow always seems to be losing.

In the field of destiny, no team or player will be eternally disadvantaged because they keep the rules. They may be cornered or misused, even defeated for a time. But individual players on that team, regardless of what appears on the scoreboard, may already be victorious.

Each player will have a test sufficient to his needs; how each responds is the test.

When the game is finally over, you and they will see purpose in it all, may even express gratitude for having been on the field during the darkest part of the contest.

I do not think the Lord is quite so hopeless about what's going on in the world as we are. He could put a stop to all of it any moment. But He will not! Not until every player has a chance to meet the test for which we were preparing before the world was, before we came into mortality.

The same testing in troubled times can have quite opposite effects on individuals. Three verses from the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Christ, teach us that "they had wars, and bloodsheds, and famine, and affliction, for the space of many years.

"And there had been murders, and contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity among the people of Nephi; nevertheless for the righteous' sake, yea, because of the prayers of the righteous, they were spared.

"But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility." (Alma 62:39-41; italics added.)

Surely you know some whose lives have been filled with adversity who have been mellowed and strengthened and refined by it, while others have come away from the same test bitter and blistered and unhappy.

There is no way to make sense out of life without a knowledge of the doctrine of premortal life.

The idea that mortal birth is the beginning is preposterous. There is no way to explain life if you believe that.

The notion that life ends with mortal death is ridiculous. There is no way to face life if you believe that.

When we understand the doctrine of premortal life, then things fit together and make sense. We then know that little boys and little girls are not monkeys, nor are their parents, nor were theirs, to the very beginning generation.

We are the children of God, created in his image.

Our child-parent relationship to God is clear.

The purpose for the creation of this earth is clear.

The testing that comes in mortality is clear.

The need for a redeemer is clear.

When we do understand that principle of the gospel, we see a Heavenly Father and a Son; we see an atonement and a redemption.

We understand why ordinances and covenants are necessary.

We understand the necessity for baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. We understand why we renew that covenant by partaking of the sacrament.

I have but touched upon the doctrine of premortal life. We cannot, in these brief conference talks, do more than that. Oh, if we but had a day, or even an hour, to speak of it.

I assure you there is, underlying the programs and activities of this church, a depth and breadth and height of doctrine that answers the questions of life.

When one knows the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is cause to rejoice. The words joy and rejoice appear through the scriptures repetitively. Latter-day Saints are happy people. When one knows the doctrine, parenthood becomes a sacred obligation, the begetting of life a sacred privilege. Abortion would be unthinkable. No one would think of suicide. And all the frailties and problems of men would fade away.

We have cause to rejoice and we do rejoice, even celebrate.

"The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth." (D&C 93:36.)

God bless us that we and all who will hear His message can celebrate the Light! Of him I bear witness, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Good Hope, you have BAD HABITS!  Well I never...

JK!

Hey, guess what, we ALL have bad habits to some degree or another.  Some of us have much worse and damaging habits than others.  

I agree 100% with Poweder about taking small, practical steps to change your habits.  Eating bad and wasting time with video games (which I tend to do sometimes with my Xbox) seem like harmless things in and of themselves, but when you add up the immense amount of time and wasted (and the pounds that add up because of the junk food), then it really becomes a tragic and dangerous thing.

Like powder said, try cutting back a little bit each week and I think you will see some major improvements in how you look, feel and percieve life.

Don't look to any magical way out of it, a lot of hard work and patience goes a long way.  By the way, I think the chakras are real!

-Dan

No way!  That's too funny!  I guess we shouldn't really be that suprised...it's human nature, but you know it's very disillusioning nonetheless.

Italy, along with a host of other European nations are taking sides with the US on the Iraq issue:

Berlusconi discusses Iraq with Bush  
Italy Weekly  January 31, 2003
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told U.S. President George W. Bush during a meeting in Washington Thursday that Italy was among his closest allies in the Iraqi crisis and that he was there "to help President Bush convince everybody that only by standing united - the EU, the United States and Russia - we will be able to force Saddam Hussein see as his only option giving up weapons of mass destruction." Berlusconi mentioned the fear that after the Sept. 11 attacks, terror groups might be planning another horrible assault with weapons of mass destruction that Iraq is known to possess and has not yet destroyed.
.
Berlusconi also said a war against Iraq was "the last option." He stressed that the "decision on peace that everyone wants is in Saddam Hussein's hands." Bush said Thursday he will give diplomay "weeks, not months," and said the United States would welcome Saddam going into exile.

< < Back to Start of Article Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told U.S. President George W. Bush during a meeting in Washington Thursday that Italy was among his closest allies in the Iraqi crisis and that he was there "to help President Bush convince everybody that only by standing united - the EU, the United States and Russia - we will be able to force Saddam Hussein see as his only option giving up weapons of mass destruction." Berlusconi mentioned the fear that after the Sept. 11 attacks, terror groups might be planning another horrible assault with weapons of mass destruction that Iraq is known to possess and has not yet destroyed.
.
Berlusconi also said a war against Iraq was "the last option." He stressed that the "decision on peace that everyone wants is in Saddam Hussein's hands." Bush said Thursday he will give diplomay "weeks, not months," and said the United States would welcome Saddam going into exile. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told U.S. President George W. Bush during a meeting in Washington Thursday that Italy was among his closest allies in the Iraqi crisis and that he was there "to help President Bush convince everybody that only by standing united - the EU, the United States and Russia - we will be able to force Saddam Hussein see as his only option giving up weapons of mass destruction." Berlusconi mentioned the fear that after the Sept. 11 attacks, terror groups might be planning another horrible assault with weapons of mass destruction that Iraq is known to possess and has not yet destroyed.
.
Berlusconi also said a war against Iraq was "the last option." He stressed that the "decision on peace that everyone wants is in Saddam Hussein's hands." Bush said Thursday he will give diplomay "weeks, not months," and said the United States would welcome Saddam going into exile. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told U.S. President George W. Bush during a meeting in Washington Thursday that Italy was among his closest allies in the Iraqi crisis and that he was there "to help President Bush convince everybody that only by standing united - the EU, the United States and Russia - we will be able to force Saddam Hussein see as his only option giving up weapons of mass destruction." Berlusconi mentioned the fear that after the Sept. 11 attacks, terror groups might be planning another horrible assault with weapons of mass destruction that Iraq is known to possess and has not yet destroyed.
.
Berlusconi also said a war against Iraq was "the last option." He stressed that the "decision on peace that everyone wants is in Saddam Hussein's hands." Bush said Thursday he will give diplomay "weeks, not months," and said the United States would welcome Saddam going into exile.

Ok, here is that summary...but before I say this I want everyone who reads this to know that I am not a Catholic and the following beliefs are not Catholic (I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a seeker of all truth)

-Agency is the ability we all have to choose good or evil.

-Because we lived before this life, the decisions we made before this life have a bearing on who we are here and what we are.

The word "infallible" is a joke, that would only apply to someone who is perfect...and is one of the many absurdities of the Catholic faith.

-DT

Hey Kakkarot,
This video of Bush "talking to COngress", are you talking about the State of the Union Address?  If so, it's a like a tradition to clap when the President speaks...

Anyway, I assure you that the people shooting at US planes in N. Iraq are not civilian women.  I am not saying that war is good, or is ever fully justified, but calling the US imperialist and saying we are guilty of crimes against humanity is simply wrong and simple minded.  The US sends out more aid than any other country in the world and I think that ONE (of many) reasons the US is going for Iraq is because they know he has weapons of mass destruction because WE gave them to him.  

I don't pretend the US is infallible or that there isn't corruption in high places, but generalizations never fly when you are talking about the socio-political present.

-DT

I'm a power spot rotating, ever-changing
transmitting like a radio wave frequently feeling
what's goin' on
times are weird
all this static
things erratic
seems like we lost the magic
see hear how clear is inner quality
a yin and yang type of thang sacred geometry
ascending mad energy crazy bad
I'm something NASA freakin' wish they had

For me, as a Christian, it is very sad to see how many people did and continue to do evil in the name of Christ.  It is never difficult, however, to spot this charlatans...one must look at their actions and not their words to see where their hearts are.

cainam_nazier has brought up a VERY interesting question, one that has vexed man since the beginning and one that I feel I can answer, but whether you will agree with me or not is another.

First of all, free will or FREE AGENCY as I like to call it, is a VITAL part of our existence as eternal beings.  We couldn't learn the difference between right and wrong, good and evil...we couldn't be on the course we are on: the course to perfection, unless this were the case.  

I also believe that at a certain level, where God is you might say...or THE Source, the ETERNAL NOW, one can see the beginning to the end (well, except for there really ISN'T a beginning or END...that's the impossible thing to comprehend, although for us in mortality it's how we perceive things so it's the language I will use).  Therefore I believe that yes, at some level all is known, EXCEPT (and I may be accused of being contradictory or dogmatic here) WE ALWAYS HAVE THE CHANCE TO CHOOSE...WE CAN CONSTANTLY ALTER THE OUTCOME OF OUR LIVES.  

I also believe we existed before we existed here in this life, except not with physical bodies ...and there we had different levels of spirituality and intelligence, just as we do here.  Therefore that has a lot to do with who we are here and what kinds of things we are learning and doing, so in that sense were were pre-destined to be and do certain things.  Some people are more drawn to love, teaching, spirituality, their higher self, to energy, and also to negative influences such as greed, money, violence, etc.  But even someone who was highly advanced and good before might make a decision that would alter their eternal course AND vice-versa.

So it's sort of a dualistic thing, on the one had we are pre-destined in that a being existing in the eternal now (like our God) can see us all and know our end, but on the other hand we CAN ALWAYS change our current path (kind of like in Minority Report...that film ind of touches on this dual nature of existence).

I hope I did an ample job of explaining what I and my associates believe is the truth (except I won't tell you I believe this if we are having a heart to hear conversation, I will say I KNOW THIS is THE TRUTH).
---------------------
Here is an article that goes into a little more detail regarding this subject and diverges into what we as LDS believe about the nature of FREE WILL and why it's so vital to our existence (and before I post this I want to say thanks again "cainam" for bringing this topic up!):

------------------------
Concerning the principle of free agency, President David O. McKay has written, "Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God's greatest gift to man. ... Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than any possession earth can give. It is inherent in the spirit of man. It is a divine gift to every normal being. ... Everyone has this most precious of all life's endowments—the gift of free agency—man's inherited and inalienable right." (Improvement Era, Feb. 1962, p. 86.)

Free agency in the pre-earthly existence
In reviewing this topic, I would like to begin at the beginning, but so far as I can tell there never was a beginning so far as the exercising of free agency is concerned. According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, our minds or intelligences—those parts of our being with which we think and make choices and determine actions—have always existed. Concerning this the Prophet said:

"The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal with God himself. ...

"The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. ... There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are co-equal [that is, co-eternal] with our Father in heaven. ...

"Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Deseret Book Co., 1938, pp. 353-54.)

Thus the capacity of choice, which is a most essential element in free agency, has evidently always been part of our being.

In the process of time each of our intelligences was clothed with a spiritual body by heavenly parents, and we became personages of spirit with bodies of eyes and ears and hands and feet. All of us on this earth had the same Father of our spiritual bodies, and because he lives in heaven, we have been rightfully taught to refer to him as "our Father in heaven."

Our spirit bodies were capable of tremendous accomplishments, but they also had some serious limitations. There were some laws that they could not obey, and therefore there were some blessings not available to them. Thus, our Heavenly Father called us into a grand council in heaven where he proposed a plan that would give us further opportunities of growth and development by giving us further opportunities of choice. There the importance of moral free agency and its four necessary and essential conditions were explained to us: first, we must have the opportunity of choice—that is, the operation of law; second, there must be the possibility of the existence of opposites—good and evil, virtue and vice; these two make possible the third, the freedom of choice—that is, free agency; then finally, a knowledge of the law and its consequences. All four of these conditions are necessary in order to accomplish the progression that would enable us to become as our Father in heaven, which was the main purpose of the new earth plan that he proposed.

When we lived with our Father in heaven, we did not need to exercise a fullness of faith in whether or not he existed. We knew that he lived because we saw him; we walked and talked with him. We knew he existed and were convinced of his existence, but we were not necessarily converted to him and to his great principles because our knowledge of him had come from external sources without virtually any effort on our part. So that we would come to a knowledge of him in and of ourselves, our Heavenly Father proposed that when we came into this earth life a veil of forgetfulness would be placed over our minds so that we would not remember our pre-earthly existence with him. Only then could the choices that we made here upon this earth truly come from within us. Our Father in heaven then promised us that while we were here on earth he (1) would give us law, (2) would provide the possibility of opposites, (3) would give us free agency, and (4) would send angels and prophets to teach us and give us scriptures so we could learn the laws and understand why we should keep them. Thus, he promised us the necessary conditions on this earth so that we could become morally free.

The nature of law was more than likely explained in that pre-earthly council—that each law has consequences, opposite and equal. Whenever a law is kept or obeyed, the consequence is a blessing which results in joy or happiness. Whenever a law is broken or disobeyed, the consequence is a punishment that results in misery or unhappiness. This simple and perhaps over-generalized explanation of the law of justice portrays how order is accomplished, for in the payment of the law of either obedience or disobedience, the law is brought back into a state of balance and thus order prevails. The law of justice, then, always requires a payment.  

My comment(You can see this with psychic and mental energy as well...there is always a coming in and going on depending on our actions)

But another law also operates in the moral realm—the law of mercy, which in no way robs or violates the law of justice but which makes possible the vicarious payment of broken law. For example, the law of mercy permits the disobedience of a person to be atoned for or paid for by the obedience of the Savior --My comment:(a perfect being who died without having once broken any higher law...he obeyed laws from levels much higher than this), providing that the person who disobeyed the law will cease being disobedient—in other words, providing that the person repents.

The great plan of salvation and exaltation must also have been explained to us including an explanation of why the possibility of opposition must exist upon the earth and how it would occur through the fall of man, how the law of justice would require a payment for the broken law and how the law of mercy would make the Atonement possible. The explanation of these things was later revealed to the prophet Lehi, and he taught them to his family in these words:

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. It not so ... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery. neither good nor bad. ...

"... there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon (my comment: this is actually a scientific law as well if you understand the laws of physics).

"And to bring about his eternal purposes ... the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other. ...

"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law. ...

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death." (2 Ne. 2:11, 14-16, 26-27.)[/red]

It was no doubt explained in this great pre-earthly council that as we would come to the earth the Spirit of Christ would be placed within each of us and another member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost, would be empowered to witness, reveal, and testify to our spirits. Then, even though we had a veil of mortality over our minds, the Holy Ghost would be able to bring all things to our remembrance if we would listen to the words of the prophets, would read the words of the scriptures, and would respond to the Spirit of Christ that is within each of us by praying to our Father in heaven. This time, however, the knowledge would come to us by an act of will on our part. We would internalize it; it would become part of our very being, and therefore no one throughout all eternity could take this knowledge away from us unless we, by an act of will, allowed this knowledge to be taken away.

Now, there were other purposes, of course, for this earth life. We came here also to receive physical bodies capable of procreation. But the God-given power to have children would not be placed in our physical bodies until we had arrived at an age of accountability and had matured in experience so we could exercise our free agency in using these powers in righteousness.

When this great plan was presented to us, it was soon evident that because of the Atonement and the principle of free agency, this earth life could become a great testing and proving period.[/red] If we proved faithful to all the laws given to us by our Heavenly Father, we would become even as he is and share with him his power and glory. Perhaps it was when we realized this that the "sons of God shouted for joy," as recorded in the book of Job. (Job 38:7.)

Lucifer's proposal to deny free agency
There were some, however, in that pre-earthly council who did not shout for joy. They either lacked faith in our Heavenly Father, in the Savior, or in the gospel plan, or they lacked faith in their own ability or willingness to keep the law that would be given to them. Thus, they actively opposed the plan of our Heavenly Father. Their leader was called Lucifer, "the son of the morning"; he is also known as the devil or Satan.

Lucifer not only opposed the plan of our Heavenly Father, but he sought to amend and change the terms of salvation by denying men their free agency and by preempting our Heavenly Father. The exact words of Lucifer's boast are contained in the book of Moses: "I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor." (Moses 4:1.)

We do not know all of the details of Lucifer's amended proposal, but we do know from revelation that he "sought to destroy the agency of man." (Moses 4:3.) This could be accomplished in many ways, including denying us either the opportunity of choice or the freedom of choice. In either case, not "one soul" would have been lost. It is sin that causes a soul to be lost, but how can a person sin if he does not have the opportunity to sin? That is, how can a person disobey a law if he does not have a law?

Lucifer's proposed amendment appealed to some, but it did not appeal to any of us in this audience. We saw that under his plan we would lose the challenge of growth and progression. We did not want to live in a world where we would be on the same plane forever. We had enough faith in our Heavenly Father and in his plan, in Jesus Christ, and in ourselves that we wanted to live in a world where there would be opportunities for further development. At the same time I am sure we realized that if we were not faithful to these laws and opportunities we might even be worse off than we had been before.

Thus there was a great war in heaven, and a key issue in that war was whether or not man was to be a morally free agent while upon the earth. A vote was taken. (By the way, that in itself indicates that we had our free agency there; in a sense Lucifer exercised his free agency in an attempt to deny us the right to exercise our free agency.) Two-thirds of those present voted for the plan of our Heavenly Father; one-third voted against the plan and did not participate in it.  (my comment: the 1/3 that did not accept it were cast down and they constitute a great majority of the negs/ evil spirits that torment us and try to impede our progression for they have lost their ability to progress because they never came to this world to get physical bodies...)

Freedom in the Garden of Eden
So the plan was put into operation. A physical earth was created. Physical bodies were prepared for Adam and Eve. Their spiritual bodies were placed in those physical bodies, and they became living souls. Then our Heavenly Father started to keep the promises that he had made to us by giving them the opportunity of choice. He did this by giving them law, by telling them what they should do and what they should not do: "Partake of the fruit of the tree of life." "Multiply." "Do not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Through his selection of the laws, he also gave them the possibility of opposites. Next he explained the consequences of those laws: "Partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and ye shall live forever." "Multiply, and you shall have joy and rejoicing in your posterity." "Partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and you shall surely die." Then our Heavenly Father did one other thing: after explaining the consequences of their choices, he also explained that they would have the freedom to choose under this great earth plan. Notice how all three of these elements are present in one verse in the book of Moses:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Moses 3:17.)

Well, you know the rest of that story. Lucifer and his followers were cast out of heaven. In order for Lucifer to make all of us subject to him, thus enabling him to put his throne above the throne of God, he needed to accomplish two things: first of all, he needed to get sin into the world, and then he needed to keep Jesus Christ from atoning for that sin.

Therefore, Lucifer tried to get Adam to disobey one of the laws. When he was unsuccessful in this he concentrated on Eve and finally enticed her to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eve then persuaded Adam to partake of that same fruit. Although Adam and Eve had great intellect and powers of reason in the Garden of Eden, they were without experience; although they had the opportunity of choice and the freedom of choice in the Garden of Eden, yet they were not morally free because they did not fully understand the consequences of their choice. Oh, they heard the words of our Heavenly Father, "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," but what was death to Adam and Eve? They had never seen death nor experienced it; they could not understand it. And because they did not fully comprehend the consequences, their disobedience of the law is referred to as a "transgression," not as a "sin," and consequently comes under the unconditional part of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

As a result of their transgression, two deaths were introduced into this earth: physical death, which resulted from their partaking of that particular fruit; and spiritual death, which resulted from their disobeying our Heavenly Father. Thus misery and suffering, which are the consequences of broken law, entered into the world.

The atonement of Christ
Now let us skip four thousand years of history and come down to the birth of Christ—a very important period so far as all mankind are concerned. Indeed, the Prophet Jacob in the Book of Mormon said that if Jesus Christ did not atone then all mankind must unavoidably perish, and we would all "become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself." (2 Ne. 9:9.) The plan was that Jesus Christ would be born into this earth as the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh and would have power over the physical death. The plan also required that Jesus Christ would be sinless while he lived upon the earth so that he would have power over all the laws and would be able to atone for the spiritual death introduced by the fall of Adam and Eve.

Lucifer knew that Christ must possess these two essential and necessary characteristics. He may have known this because of his pre-earthly experience; if not, then surely he knew it because of the words of the prophets of God here upon the earth. Therefore, when the Savior was born, Lucifer tried in every way that he could think of to keep Jesus Christ from achieving his great, divine destiny. He tried to get Jesus Christ to deny his divine Sonship, but the Savior replied, "I came into the world to do the will of my Father." He tried to get Jesus Christ to break one of the laws, for he knew that if he could get the Savior to break only one law—to commit only one sin—then the Savior would not have power over all of the laws and therefore could not atone for the sins of all mankind.

But Jesus completely resisted the enticements of Lucifer; Jesus did not disobey any laws, and so he is referred to in the scriptures as the Sinless One. Jesus Christ was thus able to atone for both the physical death and the spiritual death. He was able to atone for the physical death because of the power that he had inherited from the Father as the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh; he was able to atone for the spiritual death because he was sinless.

The next crucial question was "Would he be willing to atone for those deaths? Would he be willing to endure the intense suffering and pain that would be required to pay for the sins of all mankind? Would he be willing to submit to the chains of physical death and thereby voluntarily break the bands or the chains of physical death for all mankind?" The New Testament records the drama of the experiences of the Savior in Gethsemane, at Golgotha, and at the tomb, where he fully atoned for the two deaths, conquering both the grave and hell and thus becoming the great Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. In remembrance of the two aspects of his atonement, we have been commanded that when we partake of the sacrament we partake of two emblems—bread in remembrance of the body of Christ, which he gave as a ransom for all; and a liquid in remembrance of the blood of Christ, which he shed for the remission of our sins. (See JST, Matt. 26:22-25.)

As a result of the atonement of Jesus Christ, we are all freed from the bondage of the original transgression of Adam and Eve, as well as being freed from all those transgressions we committed before we arrived at the age of accountability. As the Savior himself has said, "I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed; and the law also maketh you free." (D&C 98:8.) Therefore, because of the Atonement, the extent of our individual free agency today is in direct proportion to the number and kind of laws we disobey. Perfect freedom is made possible to us through the Atonement, but it can come only through perfect obedience to the law.

The atonement of Jesus Christ also meant that Lucifer could not attain his goal. He cannot win all of us. He cannot win Christ; Christ is already beyond his power. He cannot win those who have already lived on the earth obedient to the laws of our Heavenly Father and who have now been resurrected.

Efforts to limit human freedom
But Lucifer is trying to run up as high a score as possible, and he does this by trying to keep us individually from achieving the great divine purposes for which we came here upon this earth, including the exercise of our free agency. He can do it by denying us any one of the four essential qualities of moral free agency. He can do it by denying us the opportunity of choice, and he tries to do this through certain types of governments (dictatorships), through the lack of governments (anarchy), and so on. He tries to do this by destroying, in our minds at least, the idea that there is a necessity of opposition, and therefore he tries to teach us "there is no sin. It mattereth not what a man does; whatsoever a man doeth is not sin. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Thus he destroys the role of opposition in our lives, or at least he attempts to do so.

He can also do it by destroying our freedom of choice, and he does this by enticing us to give up our right of free agency to other persons or to other institutions and allow them to make our choices for us, resulting in the evil that presidents of the Church have repeatedly warned against in communism and socialism and other orders of this type.

He also does it by trying to encourage us not to come to a knowledge of our Heavenly Father by not listening to the prophets, by not studying the scriptures, and therefore by not knowing the consequences of our choices: "The scriptures are irrelevant today. They were written a long time ago. Don't pay any attention to them," he says. "There are no such things as prophets upon the earth; they ceased at the time of Christ." Or he says that the heavens are sealed; there is no revelation today. He even says that God is dead!

Thus in one way or another he tries to entice us to become like him and to become subject to the misery and unhappiness that he now experiences. To achieve his devilish aims, Lucifer can and does work through many means: business combines, governments on all levels, military forces, educational institutions, secret combinations of all kinds, and even families, teachers, and churches. Wherever and whenever you find a person or an institution that seeks to destroy the free agency of man, there you will find the influence of Lucifer.

President Henry D. Moyle talked on this subject in these words:

"All we have to do is ... examine any movement that may be brought into our midst ... and if it ... attempt to deprive us in the slightest respect of our free agency, we should avoid it as we would avoid immorality or anything else that is vicious. ... Free agency is as necessary for our eternal salvation as is our virtue. And ... as we guard our virtue with our lives, so should we guard our free agency." (Conference Report, Oct. 1947, p. 46.)

President Marion G. Romney, when he was a member of the Council of the Twelve, gave this advice:

"One of the fundamental doctrines of revealed truth is that ... God endowed men with free agency (see Moses 7:32). The preservation of this free agency is more important than the preservation of life itself. ... Everything which militates against man's enjoyment of this endowment persuades not to believe in Christ, for he is the author of free agency.

"Now the world today is in the throes of a great social and political revolution. In almost every department of society laws and practices are being daily proposed and adopted which greatly alter the course of our lives. Indeed, some of them are literally shaking the foundations of our political and social institutions. If you would know truth from error in this bitterly contested arena, apply Mormon's test to these innovations [as recorded in Moro. 7:16-18]. Do they facilitate or restrict the exercise of man's divine endowment of free agency? Tested by this standard, most of them will fall quickly into their proper category as between good and evil." (Speeches of the Year, Brigham Young University Press, 1957, pp. 10-11.)

As an example of how sin can put us into bondage, let us consider for a moment the Word of Wisdom, because this is a physical law that we can see and understand rather readily. The Lord has said tobacco is not good for man—that is the law. We have our free agency either to obey or to disobey the law. Also, by keeping the law we still have our free agency as to whether or not we will continue to keep the law. However, as soon as we disobey the law—in this case, when we become addicted to nicotine—we not only suffer the penalty of poorer health, but we also practically lose our free agency in that matter. The broken law has a claim over us, we have become slaves to the drug, and the broken law will continue to have a claim over us until we stop breaking the law—that is, until we repent. And essentially the same principle is involved in all of the laws given to us by our Heavenly Father.

Scriptural references to freedom
Following are a few scriptural quotations pertaining to these principles:

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32.)

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

"And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Heb. 5:8-9.)

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Gal. 5:1.)

"Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

"For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." (D&C 58:27-28.)

"And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet." (D&C 29:39. Italics added.)

"Whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

"He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you." (Hel. 14:30-31. Italics added.)

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6:7.)

"To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17.)

"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 6:23.)

"This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3.)

Freedom necessary for the gospel to flourish
An atmosphere of freedom is necessary for the teaching and accepting of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The missionaries and the message of the restored gospel have been received by the nations of the earth in almost the same proportion as those nations have accepted the principles of freedom. So intertwined are the principles of the gospel and the principles of free agency that they have become almost as one. This characteristic has been pointed out by President John Taylor in these words:

"Besides the preaching of the Gospel, we have another mission, namely, the perpetuation of the free agency of man and the maintenance of liberty, freedom, and the rights of man. ... We have a right to liberty—that was a right that God gave to all men; and if there has been oppression, fraud or tyranny in the earth, it has been the result of the wickedness and corruptions of men and has always been opposed to God and the principles of truth. (Journal of Discourses, 23:63.)

I bear witness and testimony of these things.

By:
Daniel H. Ludlow
Edited (without permission) by Daniel Todd---1-'03

Adapted from Speeches of the Year, Brigham Young University Press, 1974, pp. 173-88.

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates$fn=default.htm

Don't worry my friend, we are FAR from calling upon the draft.  Luckily there are thousands of brave young men and women, like my cousin and best friend, who are willing to defend the freedoms we enjoy everyday.  

And hey, don't fret...if things really were to heat up and the draft laws were re-instituted, you and Bill Clinton can hide out in Canada together and smoke pot until the whole thing blows over.  And then, if the US were to lose, you can come back to the US and live under the rule of some fascist, ultra religous Islamic dictator and then you will be really happy.

War in Iraq to Focus on Saddam Hussein


Monday January 27, 2003 3:20 PM


One lingering image from the 1991 Persian Gulf War was of terrified Iraqi soldiers waving their arms in surrender to an unmanned Navy reconnaissance drone as it skimmed overhead, videotaping the desert terrain.

That incident underscored a vast difference between the two sides - the battlefield technology that enabled a U.S.-led coalition of forces to easily defeat a million-man army, then billed as the world's fourth largest, in six weeks.

Twelve years later, American surveillance and ``smart weapon'' technology is far more sophisticated and reliable, and the key to what U.S. planners hope would be an even swifter, more decisive and less bloody victory than Desert Storm.

Despite an already big buildup of U.S. combat forces in the Gulf region, experts say a new war will not be a throwback to the desert tank battles of 1991. Nor will it be another Afghanistan, although ``special operators'' - Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs or Air Force commandos - could play crucial roles in trying to capture or kill Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein.

``What we can expect this time is some increased kind of mobility from the U.S.,'' said Francois Boo, an analyst at Global Security.org, an Alexandria, Va.-based think tank. ``The objective of this war is not to recapture some land, but to remove Saddam Hussein from power. That's the center of gravity, and that means Baghdad.''

Even if Saddam anticipates that, ``the idea is that the U.S. force will be so powerful, and so fast, and take him by so much surprise that the regime will collapse by itself,'' Boo said. This ``plausible scenario,'' as he calls it, anticipates that Iraq's forces, much weaker than in 1991, can be bypassed without a serious fight.

As in 1991, any attack is sure to begin with precisely targeted U.S. air attacks to blind Iraq's air defenses, destroy communications and cripple Saddam's ability to fight back.

This time, the weapons are guided by GPS - global positioning satellites - rather than lasers, and will comprise far more than the 10 percent of all explosives unleashed on Iraq the first time around. They include the Predator, the Air Force's multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle; the Navy's long-range Tomahawk cruise missile used in the Gulf War and against Al-Qaida in Afghanistan; and new or upgraded missiles that can be guided from air to target from as far as 15 miles away. They have already tested in Afghanistan, Kosovo and against Iraqi air defenses in the no-fly zone.

``There will be an increased reliance on surveillance and intelligence means, and on precision-guided munitions. The point is not to destroy everything in sight but to take out specific installations and facilities,'' Boo said.

In making Iraq's anti-aircraft defenses the top priority, U.S. officials cannot dismiss the potential threat of chemical and biological weapons, which are hard to detect and can be delivered by several means, including the Scud missiles of Gulf War notoriety.

As for ground action, Boo said, the objective will be to ``drive straight to Baghdad,'' and with overwhelming forces at the city limits, wait for Saddam's regime to crumble under the pressure. ``Anything else will just be a diversion.''

While protracted World War II-type street fighting is the Pentagon's ``nightmare scenario,'' Boo doesn't expect it. ``The whole theory is that by the time the U.S. military reaches the gates of Baghdad, Saddam will have surrendered, or will be floating in the Euphrates as the result of the Iraqi people revolting.''

Other experts are skeptical of that - or of a coup d'etat, given Saddam's record of purging aides he suspects of disloyalty. Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger says that if Saddam's generals tried to topple him, ``they'd all be dead'' before they succeeded.

In a defiant speech on Jan. 17, Saddam appeared to reject any idea of compromise or abdication from power, and said an attack on Baghdad would be ``suicide.'' He also claimed - as he has before - that Iraq actually won the 1991 Gulf War.

That conflict came after Saddam invaded Kuwait in August 1990, accusing the neighboring emirate of using ``slant drilling'' to infringe on Iraq's oil fields, and of cheapening Iraqi oil by overproducing its own. He nullified debts owed Kuwait from Iraq's eight-year war against Iran, and ``re-annexed'' Kuwait as Iraq's 19th province.

By that lightning stroke, the Iraqi dictator gained control of 20 percent of the world's oil reserves, and hinted at a further drive into eastern Saudi Arabia, where another one-fifth of the world's oil lay underground.

Declaring that Iraq's ``aggression will not stand,'' President George Bush gained U.N. backing for sanctions and armed action to drive the Iraqis out of Kuwait.

Threatened by Saddam's move, Saudi Arabia invited U.S. military intervention. Bush assembled a 33-country coalition that included not only traditional U.S. allies like Britain and France, but a dozen Islamic nations.

After a five-month buildup of nearly a half million allied troops, ``the mother of all battles'' promised by Saddam turned out to be a one-sided air campaign - 48,000 strikes on 1,200 targets in 42 days - and a fast-moving ground war that lasted only 100 hours, a little longer than a holiday weekend.

Baghdad, a city of 4 million people, was bombed at the outset, but allied forces stopped short of invading Iraq, on grounds that was not their mandate. Postwar critics charged that Bush and his generals failed to complete the job, and misled anti-Saddam factions in Iraq with empty promises of support.

Many analysts have said since that the allies wanted to preserve Iraq, even in a weakened state, as a buffer against Iranian dominance of the region.

Threats to the world's oil supply being the issue in 1991, some antiwar groups claim oil is what also motivates George W. Bush, despite his avowed concern about the dangers of Iraqi chemical, biological and nuclear ``weapons of mass destruction.''

The younger Bush also has U.N. backing, but only in trying to prove through inspections that those weapons exist. Instead of heading a coalition of many flags, the United States may be acting alone or with a handful of like-minded allies.

Its state-of-the-art weaponry and forces would go up against an Iraqi foe that analysts now estimate at 400,000 troops - less than half the 1991 strength - and filled with reluctant conscripts; aging tanks plagued by spare-parts shortages; and an air force that fled to Iran in 1991 and remains there.

Estimates of Iraqi losses have been repeatedly scaled back since the war, reflecting the fact that thousands of Saddam's front-line soldiers fled or surrendered and were sent home, and ``many were never there in the first place,'' Boo said.

In Desert Storm, 10 percent of bombs were guided and overall target accuracy was less than half. Four percent of allied losses - which included 148 Americans killed - were from ``friendly fire,'' and hundreds of Iraqi civilians were killed or wounded in several high-profile incidents, including a U.S. attack on a Baghdad bunker that had been targeted as a command center.

In Kosovo in 1999 and Afghanistan two years later, 60 percent of the bombs were guided - 87 percent in the Navy's case - and three-fourths hit the target, Pentagon studies said.

Loren Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, called that ``the most accurate bombing campaign ever.''

Even satellite-guided weapons are imperfect - as shown in Afghanistan, where human error was blamed for misdirected bombs that killed civilians and allied troops. But officials say technical inprovements, and the use of GPS-equipped commandos to identify targets, minimize chances of unintended casualties.

---

Gulf War coalition members: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.

Source: ``Contributions to the Multinational Coalition,'' The Middle East, 8th ed. (Washington, D.C.; Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1994).

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Richard Pyle covered Operation Desert Storm for The Associated Press.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/27/sprj.irq.excerpts/

After reading this report, how can people continue to blame the US?  I find it strange the way no one wants to admit how easy it would be for Saddam to declare the whereabouts of his weapons in order to avoid a conflict.  Why is everything the fault of the US?  The responsibility and power to stop this war is in the hands of one man and his regime.

OK- I felt the need to bring this post back up to the surface for obvious reasons...a lot of people have said a lot of different things regarding what is going on and what will go on.

I had an interesting thought and I invite you to think about what is going on from a more historical point of view.  Think of the Roman Empire, probably the last superpower before the US.  What do think they did/would do if they were attacked on their own soil and in the biggest city in their country?  Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that they would completely destory the enemy, domestically or abroad.

Well, on Sept 11 the US was invaded and attacked and thousands of innocent lives were lost.  It's like walking up to a sleeping lion and stabbing it in the butt...what do you think is going to happen.

Iraq has connections with terrorists (I should say Saddam, because I don't think there are too many Iraqis who are anything lke Saddam) and now the US is going after him.

I am not trying to sway anyone's opinion.  I am simply saying that hey, when you tinkle off a giant, you can expect some repercussions...if you don't then you are not living in the real world, which is a world of hate, sadness and war.  

The war is going to happen.  One of my good buddies ships out today and his wife (newly weds) is devastated.  I just pray that the conflict will end quickly and that not too many innocent people are killed.

Wow...that is funny!

WHere did you get that??

I don't think the US has fully made the case against Iraq, I know that there are a lot of complex, political reasons for the US to be there (it actually makes perfect sense based on the way the world works, ie. the core-periphery nation based global community) and I think war is wrong, but honestly I am not against the war.  Saddam is a madman, a hundred...or even 25 years ago there wouldn't be half as much opposition to a war like this one, but the world is coming to the realization that war is often times not inevitable and is based upon $$$$.

I feel bad for the innocent men and women (AMerican and Iraqi) who will die.  But Saddam can burn for all I care.  I just wish we could snipe him and make it that simple, but it's not and really I don't even pretend to promote or decry this war...there's too much I don't know about it either way.

One of my posts has dissapeared...maybe I was censored, who knows.  Anyway, the last post by cainam_nazier is music to my ears...why?  Because it's logical, it's not based on race or sex...it's based on socioeconomic issues.  Poor, uneducated people come from all walks of life, all races, both sexes.  I would even add to this "upward mobility program" some sort of clause about families, ie. children coming from broken homes should recieve additional aid as they climb their way to the top.  

I can admit to one example from my own life which has led to me to see the truth.  In high school I was near the top of my class, GPA wise.  When it came time to apply to schools, of the top 10 students, one guy in particular got "hooked up".  He was and still is a friend of mine.  He got a FULL-RIDE scholarship to USC (wort approx. $100,000).  He got it because he had good grades AND because he is of Hispanic origin (Garcia).  He got it because of his last name in effect.  Did he deserve it more than other students?  Well, he lives in a 2 story, $300,000 house.  Both of his parents are professionals, etc. etc.  He had his own PC when not everyone did, a car...you get the picture.  I myself barely got in to a private university and of course started taking out loans because I didn't get scholarships, and my dad, a school teacher, definetly couldn't foot the bills.

Tell me that's fair...

I am really not complaining[], I am going to make it regardless.  More power to my buddy...but even HE ADMITS it's a joke.  Now what about another kid who was poor, white and has only descent grades...this describes quite a few of my old buddies.  Now some of them are drop outs, mechanics, etc.  (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with being a mechanic!)  but the point is that a system that fosters racism, or in essence tries to make up for past injustice with injustice, is morally dispicable.  

Let's focus on the real goals: []peace, equality, prosperity, unity...and upward mobility for those who really need it, based on class, education, etc.[]

I also want to add this article as an appendage to what I have said:

WHERE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION GOES WRONG
WILLIAM MURCHISON (edited)
May 26, 1997
In Texas, the backlash against the backlash against affirmative action is ginning up. Hands are wrung in high places; "progressive" social thinkers View with Alarm. The hand-wringers imply that the civil rights laws mean, or should mean, the opposite of what they say. In other words, the University of Texas Law School shouldn't be forced by the federal courts to disregard race when offering admission.

What the law school wanted, and apparently still would relish, was to keep racial discrimination but fine-tune it: twirl some knobs and come out with just the right, socially progressive mix of races. Right according to whom? To the fine-tuners, the experts: whom we can trust -- y'know? Who have at heart our best interests, on account of their academic pedigrees and enlarged social consciences. Alas, the civil rights laws aren't written that way. The laws don't say, let the experts decide for mystical reasons revealed to them alone. The laws say no racial discrimination. Bless their bleeding hearts, the experts have identified at least half a social problem: the lagging credentials of black and Hispanic applicants.

But turning race from a neutral factor into a scale-tipping one won't cut it. Not in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas anyway -- the states where, so far, Hopwood exclusively applies. How we get beyond all this is anyone's guess. Government-decreed "affirmative action" is widely recognized as unjust, and not merely by Ku Kluxers. Look at California's vote last November to shut down state-sponsored discrimination. The general sense is that a thumb on the scales, benefiting one kind of customer over another, is un-American. As Shelby Steele, the black lawyer-scholar, has written, "Racial preferences, like segregation, are conveniences that have created an ancestral entitlement right in the middle of a democracy and are fundamentally an assault on democratic principles."

Can subjective racial criteria truly be kept out of play? It's hard. A new Texas law intended to address Hopwood's effects requires state colleges to admit all graduates in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. This may work better as a legal defense than as public policy. The valedictorian from an educational wasteland may fare worse in college than the goof-off from a rigorous high school. How kindly is Texas really treating the former? Well, you see, the experts are taking the bull by the tail, instead of the horns. Infinitely more useful than tinkering with admissions requirements would be a general upgrading of pre-college education -- for everybody.

How about, for starters, school vouchers? No less urgently required are social measures (e.g., the phasing out of welfare dependency) that would help rebuild the two-parent family, membership in which continues to predict and underwrite academic success.


COPYRIGHT 1997 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.

This whole topic is puzzling...well, at least it keeps people interesting.  What is the point to these Ki balls?  Let's just say they exist, etc. what are the benefits?  You must always look at what fruits something provides in order to know if it is worthwhile and good.

Hey Tisha, don't let the hp of the new hybrids turn you off[]...most cars only have about 100-110 horsepower anyway, so any of the new hybrids are powerful enough for almost any situation.  When the first electric/gas powered cars were introduced they were signifcantly less powerful, so that's why it's pretty common for people to think they are wimpy.  

The following are two horror stories involving discrimination that should make any logical person see the huge problems that inevitably arise when racial discrimination is practiced in ANY form.  The first one is about a black business man who didn't want the hand outs being offered him and he was punished!  ...and I'll let the second one explain itself.
--------------------------------
Austin punishes black business
owner for NOT accepting
racial set-asides!
News Release Dec. 22, 1998
Campaign for a Color-Blind America
Contact Marc Levin (713) 626-0943

Today, the Campaign for a Color-Blind America expressed its deep disappointment at federal Judge Sam Sparks' dismissal of a racial discrimination suit filed against the City of Austin by an African-American BBQ seller who was improperly fired for not agreeing to accept special treatment based on his race. In a case that has raised the interest of the U.S. Senate, Mr. John Goode, the owner/operator of Mr. Bones BBQ, filed suit on March 6, 1998 against both the City of Austin and its contractor Fine Host Corporation for a wrongful and unfair dismissal that has left him destitute.

Mr. Goode sold BBQ and other products to patrons of Palmer Auditorium, the Austin Convention Center, and the City Coliseum in Austin, TX during special events from 1989 to 1996. In the Spring of 1996, the Austin City Council passed an affirmative action plan which required minorities seeking contracts or subcontracts to fulfill specific requirements in obtaining certification as a minority owned business. There were no such requirements, to our knowledge, for white contractors and subcontractors doing business with the City.

John Goode declined to certify himself as a minority owned business because he felt his BBQ could stand on its own merit and he did not want any special treatment on account of his race. He simply wanted to be included in the 75% of subcontractors who didn't have to prove minority status.

However, in an August 2, 1996 letter to Mr. Goode, Fine Host Corporation terminated its contract with Mr. Goode stating, "Due tot he lack of proof of M/WBE certification with SMBR (formally known as the Office of Minority and Business Affairs), and the fact that we do not show an application pending from Mr. Bones BBQ, nor do they show Mr. Bones BBQ as having ever been certified as a Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise, we cannot continue this business relationship." They go on to state that, "Our commitment to the City of Austin is to do our best to maintain a 25% concession percentage with certified minority/women owned business enterprises. In order for your partnership to be included in our percentage you must be a certified M/WBE with the City of Austin department of Small and Minority Business Resources."

In other words, Goode was penalized for not accepting the "benefits" of affirmative action. He could have easily been included in the 75% of the remaining contracts, but he was never given that chance. As a result, Mr. Goode lost his business, his house, and now has nothing. Mr. Goode has even testified about his case before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.  However, despite this overwhelming evidence of racial injustice, Judge Sparks flippantly dismissed this very serious case. Keith Lauerman, an attorney representing Mr. Goode on a pro bono basis, said he is "I am very
disappointed with Judge Sparks' decision and am currently working on a motion to reconsider which I will file within ten days."

Campaign for a Color-blind America Executive Director Marc Levin said "I am profoundly disturbed that Judge Sparks would dismiss this case and, thereby, deny Mr. Goode the opportunity to present his evidence at a trial.  I am simply stunned that, in the face of the tremendous amount of evidence of insidious racial discrimination against Mr. Goode, a federal judge would not even allow the case to go to trial. I hope that, for the sake of Mr. Goode and in the interest of equal rights and due process under the law, Judge Sparks will recognize his error and allow Mr. Goode to have his day
in court before a jury of his peers." The Campaign for a Color-Blind America is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose Board includes nationally prominent civil rights activists, social scientists and legal scholars. The goal of the organization is to challenge race-based public policies and educate the public about the injustices of racial preferences.  Since 1993, the Campaign has challenged racially gerrymandered voting districts throughout the country and race-based admission policies in public schools.

Campaign for a Color-blind America Contact Information:  www.equalrights.com

OR HOW ABOUT THIS:
Black Female Sheriff
Hires Her Own!
Non-minority Officers Win Reverse
Discrimination Lawsuit

         16 non-minority deputies in Georgia's Fulton County Marshall's department were forced to sue this Georgia police department for 'reverse discrimination'.

Defendants: Ms. Jackie Barrett is the Fulton County, Georgia sheriff who imposed 'reverse discrimination' on the white officers in her department. Ms. Barrett is a black female who was elected to the Sheriff's job as a democrat.

         The Court found that Ms. Barrett and the Fulton County, Georgia Sheriff's department were guilty of practicing 'reverse discrimination' and 'anti-white diversity' policies in this Georgia police department. The Court found that Ms. Barrett's policies systematically excluded qualified 'non-minority' employees of the department from advancement solely for racial reasons.

         The Court found in favor of the 16 'non-minority' complainants, and has directed that they be paid $812,000 in damages (which amount includes $180,000 in punitive damages assessed against the Fulton County Marshall's Department).

         Fulton County, Georgia officials have stated for the record that "If the $180,000 punitive damage award is allowed to stand, we think Sheriff Jackie Barrett should have to pay this amount out of her personal funds."

Feb. 6, 1996: Appeal by Fulton County, seeking to overturn the Judge's finding of 'reverse discrimination' against the 16 non-minority officers. Fulton County democrats felt so strongly about this issue that they spent $244,000 of taxpayer funds opposing and appealling the Judge's Order against Fulton County.  Hmm.   Using your tax dollars to fight against your constitutional rights... it doesn't sound right, does it?

Aug. 17, 1996: Fulton County Commissioner Mitch Skandalakis has publicly stated that the black, female Sheriff, Ms. Jackie Barrett, who bears the responsibility for the 'reverse discrimination' policies against the 16 officers, should be required to pay the $180,000 punitive damage award out of her own pocket!

         Well, Ms. Sheriff Jackie Barrett, it seems that your 'reverse discrimination' is going to cost you a lot of money! We hope that your unconstitutional, prejudiced management style has a significant, negative impact on your paycheck!

Footnote:  It was an election year for the Fulton County Sheriff, and the bombing incident at the Olympics that summer overshadowed the local reportage of the Sheriff's contest and the "reverse racism" issues.  While the bombing was a tragedy that certainly deserved wide news coverage, it is too bad that Ms. Jackie Barrett's racist vendetta against white officers was overlooked during all the press coverage of the bombing.  Regrettably, she was re-elected.

         You can contact Ms. "Anti-White" Barrett at:

                   Justice Center Tower
                   185 Central Avenue, S.W.
                   Atlanta, Georgia 30303
                   (404) 730-5100
                   ATTN:   Sheriff Jacquelyn H. Barrett

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks Adrian...

Here in the US blacks liked to be called blacks.  Some of them prefer African-American, but I was just enrolled in a Race, Class and Gender course here at the University of California and there were numerous blacks in the class.  We spent nearly an entire hour discussing the terms we would be using during the course to address one another and our individual cultures and race...the blacks OVERWHELMINGLY wanted to be called "blacks"...and whites "whites".  Other groups, however, such as Latinos and Asian-Americans had a lot more to say about what they wanted to be called.  

The "terms" used to classify people into their distinctive racial groups seems to very mutable and in any given case you are likely to offend someone.  Many, for example, don't think we should distinguish one another racially...but how the heck are you supposed to describe your friends?