Andy Rooney didn't say any of this, but who cares? It's still damn good!

'I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.  Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.  I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?  I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.  I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.  When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.  I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English!  As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!  My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the  countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.  I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines. I  don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.  We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document and open to their interpretations.  I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor.  I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.  I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more.  If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.  It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid and say 'NO!' when necessary. I think tattoos and piercings are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!  I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa, so how can they be 'African-Americans'? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great,  great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.  And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

Winston Churchil quote

"Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon." 

We die, they will die, they understand...

This may sound a little odd, but one of the things I like about the Aesir and Vanar is that one day, far into the future, they will die, and they know it.  All that they have done will be gone and in their place their offspring will create their own new world.  One day I will die, my wife will die, my brother, sister-in-law, we shall all die, and we know it.  All that we are will pass and in our place our children will create their own world. 

The Gods understand the glory of creating, working, striving to put off that day of death, yet ultimately submitting to it.  Even when they do, they don't fear it.  They can look at me and mine and I can look at them and theirs and see reflected the courage in each of us to fight against that fate. 

I much prefer my Gods to have that in common with me rather than some alpha and omega creature that can never share my fear, happiness, and final fate.

This makes no sense to me…

This is from the "Cordoba Initiative - Improving Muslim-West Relations" website…

"In response to the continued controversy over the proposed Islamic community center in New York City, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) will begin displaying an ad promoting religious freedom on the back of buses throughout the New York City transit system beginning September 20."

Why are these two organization spending money and time promoting religious freedom as a response to the controversy about the mosque in New York? When have they spent time and money promoting religious freedom regarding Christian actions? I know they've spent time and money trying to prevent Nativity scenes on government property, sounds reasonable to do that, (separation of church and state), but what's the motivation here? Are they concerned that the civil liberties of Muslims are threatened and thus they need to help them out? Are they as concerned with the building of a Heathen temple, Catholic church or Jewish synagogue in a Muslim country? Oh, wait, I forgot, that's actually illegal in most Muslim nations.

Here's the other thing that doesn't make sense to me…if the idea is to build bridges between the Muslim world and the Western world, why are they working so hard to annoy the living shit out of everyone? Other organizations have met with fewer outcries and changed their plans simply to avoid bad press and stay on good terms with the locals in which they want to build. In this case it's as if the Cordoba building is intended to anger non-Muslims. Which brings me to this beauty…"local and national American Muslim leaders today issued a call for "A Week of Dialogue" in October to combat bigotry and promote understanding and religious tolerance in civil society". In Muslim nations there is no effort to promote understanding or religious tolerance, you are either Muslim or a second class citizen, converting from Muslim to anything else is literally illegal, and may even get you killed. Talking about any other religion in a way that someone may consider an attempt to promote, (or worse, convert a Muslim) is illegal. That's not "understanding" and it's definitely not "tolerance"!

If they want to build bridges, let's build the mosque and a Catholic church the same size in Mecca.

Pagans in Utah?

Pagans in California, of course, half the state is pagan isn't it? Pagans in New York City, naturally you'd find 'fringe' religions in a city where most of the world does business and visits.  But Utah?  It's a Mormon state, the home of the Mormon religion.  What are pagans doing there?  Apparently having festivals with booths explaining different pagan and heathen faiths. 

There's hope yet and Odin walks the land again.

Pagan Pride Day to offer Utahns a peek at low-key but growing community

...and a little bit more...

I'm one of those folks that thinks the Internet should be the Wild West, very little law enforcement, you watch out for yourself, and those that want a good reputation will work at earning it and profit by it.  Many want controls that protect us when we're on the 'Net.  Trouble is, control of the Internet is akin to absolute power, and, yeah, absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

Like this...

An amalgamated cybersecurity bill that lawmakers hope to pass before the end of the year includes new powers which would allow President Obama to shut down not only entire areas of the Internet, but also businesses and industries that fail to comply with government orders following the declaration of a national emergency...

We should all be very careful what we send out to the Internet...

The Bush administration was bad, they did evil, civil rights offending things like the Patriot Act.  The Obama administration is good, they respect people's civil rights.  Ummm...

The Obama administration is drawing up legislation to make it easier for intelligence services to eavesdrop on the Internet, including email exchanges and social networks...

Post Traumatic Stress

Our soldiers, (British, American, Canadian, Australian, etc.) are suffering post traumatic stress and it's apparently getting worse with each deployment.  What of the enemy?  Do they suffer the same symptoms?  They don't get to go home after a year deployment, they're there all the time.  They don't have professionals who are trained to help warriors deal with this sort of thing. 

I have a theory that they don't. The Islamic religion is in many ways a religion of conquest, there are instructions on how to wage war, who to wage it against, what tactics to use, and how to treat those you've conquered.  Islam means 'submission', Muslims must submit to Allah and those that are not Muslims must submit to Muslims.  My theory is that because their religion gives them an emotional and theological structure to in which to place and sanctify their actions, they suffer post traumatic stress less than our Christian based soldiers.  The New Testament is essentially a religion of peace, love thy enemy until thy enemy loves you. Based on that tradition, how do you view war?  Does that view set up our soldiers for increased post traumatic stress?

Liberals motivations, continued…

Is it spite?  Conservatives and the religious Right in particular seem to hate Muslims, therefore, to spite them, and give the Muslims some slack?  Turn a blind eye to the very issues that would otherwise cause problems?   

Is there some gain to ignoring the tenets of the Islamic faith?  What could a liberal gain from allowing a Muslim imam to spread their faith that is different from a Baptist priest? Does the Muslim faith help promote liberal ideas and plans in some way? It certainly doesn’t seem so.  Those nations that are predominantly or exclusively Islamic aren’t known for their gay marriage rights, empowered women, freedom of speech or any other issue that matches the liberal agenda and ideology.

Perhaps ignorance? Are liberals just uneducated as to the teachings of the Islamic faith?  That can’t be true as the speeches and texts of imams and Muslim thinkers are readily available.  The Koran can be found in just about any library and bookstore.  If liberals are ignorant it would have to be intentional. Are they?

Motivations of liberals

Liberals don't like religious Republicans.  No, wait.  The don't like the world view, philosophy, opinions, beliefs, or theological interpretations of the Bible, religious Republicans as individual people they may like, it's what makes them religious Republicans they don't like.

The reasons for not liking these things are usually given as they are exclusionary, narrow, insensitive, pretentiously ‘holier than thou’, self limiting, biased and even bigoted.  I’d have to agree with that list.  (Keep in mind I’m and atheist with heathen tendencies).

What I don’t understand is why liberals don’t hate Muslims even more than religious Republicans.  In the Muslim faith, women are virtually second class citizens, homosexuals are forbidden, all other faiths are considered inferior, cruel and unusual punishment is built into the teachings, seamless combination of church and state is the way things are supposed to be.  All these things are anathema to all liberals.  If any religious Republican, (or even a Democrat) were to voice them and demand that they be taken seriously, they’d be dragged through the streets. 

So what’s the motivation for NOT hating Muslims?

No submission

Thought you might like to read this letter to the editor of a British
national newspaper. Ever notice how some people just seem to know how to write
a letter? 
  
Here is a woman who should run for Prime Minister!
Written by a housewife, to her daily newspaper. This is one ticked off lady.
'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started
by Islamic people who brought it to our shores in July 2002, and in New York
Sept 112001 and have continually threatened to do so since?
Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered that day in
London, and in downtown Manhattan,  and in a field in Pennsylvania ?
Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or
crushing death that day, or didn't they?
And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were claiming to be tortured by a
justice system of the nation they come from and are fighting against in a
brutal insurgency.
I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for
incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11 and 7/7.
I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring
about the Holy Bible, the mere belief of which is a crime punishable by
beheading in Afghanistan
I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick
Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.
I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Afghanistan come out
and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in
mosques and behind women and children.
I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of
Nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.
I'll care when the British media stops pretending that their freedom of
speech on stories is more important than the lives of the soldiers on the
ground or their families waiting at home to hear about them when something
happens.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a British soldier roughing up an
Insurgent terrorist to obtain information, know this:
I don't care.
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to
move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take this to the bank:
I don't care.
When I hear that a prisoner - who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and
'fed special food' that is paid for by my taxes - is complaining that his
holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of
hearts:
I don't care.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and
other times 'Quran.' Well, believe me!! You guessed it ......
I don't care!!
If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends.
Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous
behaviour!
If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you
choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed
by radical Muslims happen here in our great country! And may I add:
'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in
the world.  Our soldiers don't have that problem.'
I have another quote that I would like to add, AND.......I hope you forward
all this.
Only seven defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2.  The British Soldier.
3. The Canadian Soldier.
4. The US Soldier, and
5. The South African Soldier
6. The Ghurka Soldier
7. The Australian Soldier 

One died for your soul, the other 6 for your freedom.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET ABOUT ALL OF THEM.

GIVE THIS LADY A STANDING OVATION. SHE HAS INDEED TICKED ALL THE BOXES 
Isn't it interesting that so many people in the Western World feel this way,
but not one of our politicians, who are supposed to represent us, ever have
the guts to state the situation like it is???