8.14.7

POPE FLEXING MUSCLE… LEARNED FROM THE RADICAL ISLAMICS

Well, the Pope is at it again… recent statements, Pope waters down Vatican council Two by reinstating the Latin Mass…. Whoopy doo! But the Jews don’t like it because in the Mass, there is a prayer for all Jews to become Catholics… And now a recent Pope edict, is that Non-Catholics are not true Christians… but false Christians.

Some see this as a reversal in interfaith cooperation… but that's really nothing new. Non-Catholics could never participate in Eucharist, which was their message of the same tripe we hear now. Convert if you want to be a true Christian and receive communion.

Humm? Does this mean that Catholics are really Muslims? Sounds like they are alike.

Convert or go to hell. What's next?, fish sticks on Friday or cold macaroni in the school cafeterias again. The fist sticks were OK, but cold macaroni? Enough to gag a maggot..
This edit than will be followed by Inquisition II…. I think. What goes around , comes around.

And Stem cell scientists will be hauled before the Church to recant, or face burning at the stake… I can just imagine, Fox news covering the event, live with slow motion with the botoxed Fox Girls…. Actually, they are really Martians, and one of these days they will pull off their latex mask reviewing a large green head with big empty black round eyes.

Meanwhile, the church has to pony up 600 million dollars to cover up the rampant pedophilia practiced the priests. "Blow hard for Jesus" is their mantra. The big question is whether the Holy Roman Catholic Supreme Court will pass on this? Probably not, the pundits debate, since "Bong one for Jesus" is heresy.

But at least thank God… that they ruled in favor of free speech for the rich. And better yet, put the Black back in their place. Hurrah, for separate but equal. Now we can save a bundle of money, by under funding black schools. It's really their fault says Hanity, "They just got too upitidy and we had to put'em in their place. Now we can bring back the pole tax, white only and baby, it's to the back of the bus and into the balcony. "



8.14.7

Judge Pickering and Judicial Activism 8.7.2007

SAW Judge Pickering on CSPAN book notes the other day. He lamented the increased role of activist Judges who pass laws by judicial rulings. He maintained that this is usurpation of the role of Congress. If you want to change the constitution, than that should be down by the Congress and the People.

On some time thinking about this, I ask the question: If judges only interpretative the law based on the Constitution, how would a judge interpret the million of decisions today about the law in relation to today's modern society? It seems that almost all the decisions Judges make today, are what one would call activist interpretations.

There is nothing in the constitution about copy right laws… and thousands of other issues.

For example, we have the first amendment of free speech… so to yell "fire in the movie theater" would be constitutional. So would, "Bong hits for Jesus". But the very Judges who voted against this free speech as unconstitutional, are the very judges, who hold themselves as defenders of the constitution, but in reality are activist judges themselves.

What about murder, rape and robbery? Where does it say in the Constitution that these crimes are unacceptable. Congress says they are unacceptable and a crime and; hence, Judges interpret the law as constitutional. In essence, they make an activist decision based upon the tenets of the Constitution. So, are not all decisions, activist decisions?

The real issue is over abortions. The "constitutionalists insists that this is judicial activism, making laws without the mandate of the people, not interpretation of the constitution. The "activist" point to the 13th amendment. Slaves are not chattel… hence, neither are women. Both sides are interpreting the constitution.

Each side insists that they are right. So, who is right? It all depends on ones personal gut emotional feeling about the topic. And upon this reams and reams of rational arguments abound justifying each point of view, implying that the rational arguments are valid, while ignoring the original basis for that argument…. An emotional gut reaction of what is right. In essence is all comes down to what you prefer, apples or oranges. One has the gut opinion that oranges taste better, the others, apples. Whose right?

My gut feeling is that if guys were real men, they would do the right thing and assume financial and loving responsibility for there escapade. I scream in agony whenever the right to life men, think of themselves more hollier than God and denounce abortion. I have yet heard any of them denounce the men.

In reality, my gut feeling is that their opposition to abortion is their fear that they do not have control over their women. ( sorta sounds like islamofascist? Huh?) The want to in reality want to dominant, and control and the thought of a woman making her own decisions is just not right. After all. God choose us to be the boss and the woman, the obedient one. Which to me is defacto slavery.

So, should the courts interpret the constitution that men ore the bosses, and women the slaves? Hence, the 13th amendment only applies to Backs, not women. What
BS.

Mark Dahl. 8.14.7




8.15.7

GREAT NEWS…, WE NOW WILL GET A FULL PAGE BUXON BLOND EVERY FRIDAY AT THE WSJ.

Talking about Fox news, it seems that it's a "slam dunk" that Murdoch will buy the Wall Street journal… The WST staff is miffed and upset… thinks that its integrity will be challenged…. Well, it can't be all bad. In fact it's a plus, Just think, Now every Friday, there will be a full page picture of a luscious busty nude blond beckoning you for a rump in the hay. That’s beats the dry boned data of stock tables.

And the surge goes marching on… before long some religion nut or a country singer will write and sing a song, titled. " When the saints go surging on" It will be a barnbuster patriotic anthem, and Congress will submit a constitutional amendment to change the National Anthem to this song.

Just heard that D-day has been up to Nov… not Sept. as was planned. The weather aint right in September… that's at least the reason. But don’t worry, it will be too cold in November. By Spring, the weather will be perfect, but that's Spring Break… Fort Lauderdale here we come. And of course, by Spring, we'll then move the date to September. Pundits are voicing the message, that the merry-go round will continue til 2012… than it won’t matter, because that's the last year of the Mayan calendar, hence, the world will end.

Iraqi troop training is on schedule and soon they will be able to take on the task for themselves. Let's see, it takes us three months of basic training to train our soldiers, and according to the pundits, when one calculates into Iraqi time, our one week equals four years, thus: GOOD NEWS FLASH: IRAQI TROOPS READY FOR ACTION. YEAR 2051…. "Whew. That was quite a job.", Bush the 14th said at a news conference.

The surge goes on. Alas, the global warming, has raised the sea level to over 30 feet, and now Iraq is only one third the size. The "Bad" areas of Iraq is now under water. "Heck of great job, Brownie, We couldn't have done it without you."

And that's the way it is. 7.20.7, this is Walter Pigeon signing off.






8.20.7
ANOTHER COVENANT BETRAYED



The 12-20 million illegals in this country serve two purposes. Votes for the Democrats and the continuation of low wages, not only for the illegals, but millions of low paid Americans due to the over supply of labor, resulting in increased profits for the "Republican Haves". NADA for Americans. This policy in effects guarantees a supply of cheap labor, preventing the poor from receiving a decent wage resulting in the defacto slavery of American Citizens.

If we really believe in capitalism, which includes free markets, free trade, and supply and demand, the solution to the lack of finding Americans workers is simple. Increase wages to 10-15 dollars an hour, as well bonuses for being responsible, along with job training and health insurance. In fact, this principal was the reason the serfs of the middle-ages were able to join the middle class since the royalty needed the scare labor, which was devastated by the plague, to harvest their crops and build their estates.

This is what we need today to employ our own citizens. The benefit is that they will spend the money in the U.S.A., pay taxes, get off Medicaid and welfare, and stabilize the family unit with supporting fathers, a win-win situation.

We do not need to sell citizenships for 5000 dollars; hence, returning Mexicans will have the effect of forcing it's government to be responsible.

WE GRANTED AMMESTY IN 1986 AND WE WERE PROMISED THAT THIS WOULD BE A ONE TIME DEAL. There is a law on the books making it illegal to hire illegals. Enforce it. If we grant amnesty this time, in 20 years we will have another 20 million illegals to deal with and a twelve foot wall will not keep them out. The only way to keep them out is if they have no jobs.

Sadly, we are Americans without a country. Congress has betrayed its covenant with the people.


I CAN HEAR THE VOICES SHOUTING THAT THIS IS RACIST…. FORGET IT.

REMEMBER, MANY LEGAL MEXICANS ALSO, ARE ENSLAVED BY CHEAP LABOR. NOT TO MENTION THE BLACKS. AND THE POOR.

This is really corportism… the preferred name Mussolini used to describe FASCISM.



9.5.7

Privatization is the mantra of the neocons. Government is bad, private sector is good.

Let's examine this. Walter Reed was privatized on the promise that they could do the management at half the cost, yet it turned out that their costs were twice as much and they still bungled the job. Total incompetence.

Million of dollars wasted by the coast guard when they privatized its rebuilding plans in response to 911. They outsourced the contracts, and gave the contractors the responsibility to monitor themselves. So, they cut the ships in half, added an extra 13 feet and glued them back together at millions of dollars… And of course, the job was shoddy and the ships are now scheduled for destruction. You can’t ever give them away because they are so bad.

The radios installed, were not water proofed. And of course didn’t work. The rigging was so weak, that a small wind could blow them over, and One ship, was built with composites instead of aluminum. It was so heavy that they had to add an extra engine. One consultant said, you can power a brick if you added enough power. Why wasn't aluminum used, well it so happened that the contracted had a shipyard that build composite hulls, and THE CONTRACTOR decided, to switch from aluminum to composites. After all, the contractor was in charge of monitor, so he could make any changes he wanted

But the real crime are the contractors in Iraq. They would buy second hand trucks and bill the government for new ones. And than burned them when they had a flat. ( They were not allowed to leave the truck intact) No spares. Nope, they were warehoused. And once burned, they could buy another second hand truck and bill the government for a new one.

Not only that, our soldiers were at risk and held hostage by the contractors. Numerous times, the soldiers would be fighting and running low on ammo, and the contractors refused to go because it was too dangerous… or they would claim that they hadn't been paid by the government. So blackmail was the game.

It called, support our troops… There is this new paradigm to the military industrial complex. Whereas now we have service orientated businesses, that exist only in time of war. Damn scary, it? If we are not fighting a war, they do not make money.

And yet our great congress does nothing about the raid on the taxpayers pocketbook, but the most betrayed are the soldiers, the one who swear an allegiance to give their life for their country… aaa, I mean, to the PRIVITIZERS. Is (Die for profits) i the new marine motto?


9.10.7


Sedona Revelation --- More on the illegals

We are Americans without a country. We have a government that has broken its covenant with the people. A government only interested in enriching themselves and their cronies, wither its big business, banks, insurance companies, the military, but not us Americans.

We have a government that pass laws to allow drug companies to charge what they wish, regardless, of the tax payer's contribution to the basic science research which is used to develop these drugs. In essences, we are paying so they can screw us. Thank You.

Forty five percent of us do not have health insurance. We hear the propaganda, the"S" word, socialized medicine will be the harbingers of poor care… as if no care is better than poor care is a question nobody asks? We must have free market ecomony for quality medical care. Yet, no one talks about the socialist institutions of police departments and fire departments. No one talks about the free market when it comes to protecting you life or your property? No one imagines a situation, where the police will first decide if they should respond to a scream for help if it is profitable and will add to the stock holders value. The same also applies to responding to a fire. Well, let's see, we can’t make money fighting this fire… We can't make money protecting this citizen. Hurray for the free market.

Our government now wants to grant citizenship to 12 to 20 million illegals emigrants. Whoopy do, the democrats want the votes so they can stay in power, the republicans want cheap labor. Nobody, asked the question. What about taking care of our own citizen first.

Many areas in this country the unemployment is 20 to 30 percent. Many more cannot make a living or support a family on 5.15 an hour. Yet, we want to bring in cheaper labor to make matters worse for us Americans.

We hear the arguments. We can't get people to do the work? They are great workers and will work for nothing? Hence, we have to allow this. How else can the Lords and Vassels increase their unseemly wealth. How dare the American people lament our ability to rob and rape for profits?

Is this the free market, free trade? The two tenets of Adam Smith? But wait, what about Smith's third tenet, A level playing field? Does that apply. No, Apparently this third tenet is not a factor. Do we have a level playing field when 12-20 million illegals are "enslaved" for cheap labor… not only enslaving them, but enslaving many Americans trying to live on 5.15 an hour.

Like I said, We are Americans without a country.

A fundamental concept of capitalism is "Supply and Demand". We hear this all the time. The oil companies. A cartel, manipulates the supply of oil and refinery capacity to keep prizes high. The answer is always. It's Supply and Demand… and the conversations ends.

No one mentions supply and demand when the American worker is screwed. "Screwed" How? It's simple, we allow 12-20 million illegals in this country and this is the answer to "supply and demand". Let these people in, and we do not have to increase wages, benefits and health care to the many Americans unemployed or living marginally on 5.15 an hour.

If our government fulfilled its covenant with its people, it would apply the "supply and demand" tenet to the Americans first. This means finding ways to meet the supply because of increased demand. But the excuse we hear is that, "we can't get Americans to work for 5.15 an hour. Well…. Haven’t you heard of the great capitalist mantra, Supply and Demand? How about, raising the salaries to ten to fifteen dollars an hour? Offering health care, bonuses for showing up on time and completing the project. How about, offering incentives to those who lack education, give a bonus when they pass their GED. Another bonus with higher education. Apply the supply and demand rule fairly. Adam Smith would support this since this fulfills the his third tenet, a level playing field.

My daughter a nurse got a five thousand dollar bonus as a nurse for completing one year at the hospital where she worked.

And when one thinks about it, you pay Americans more money, they spend it in the United States, (100%), and everybody makes money. Not only that, they pay more taxes. So with increased salaries, the end product is increased profits for business, since more people will have spending power.

Is this heines socialisms or communism? No, it's the free market with a level playing field. It is pure unadulterated capitalism.

Historically, the rise of the middle class and the trades during the middle ages was due to this senerio. The plaque wiped out the labor supply, ( Most were the serfs as opposed to the royality) , the royality had to pay the farmer more for his work and skills and viola, supply and demand worked wonderfully. Everybody benefited. The royaity continued making money, since the harvested their grains, the serfs made more money, and spent it and the rich made money from this spending.


It is time for the government to fulfill its covenant with the people. They need to represent the people, not special interests. If they do not, the result will be revolution. Perhaps one like the Russian Revolution. This is not the answer nor the solution. All, it will do is cause grief not only for the ruling class, but the people as well. We already have an historical example of this, so it's futile to repeat history.

In the early 1800's in England, an enlightened ruling class saw the blight of the poor and the downtrodden. They looked, they said, "This is wrong", and did something about it. Why? They were the ruling class, they didn't have to life a finger. They were wealthy, why bother. Two contradictive reasons explain why. One, it was the right thing to do as one human being to another. And two, a more cynical explanation, if they did nothing, they would get overthrown by the masses and their way of life destroyed. I would like to think the first reason was the correct explanation. But it's really irrelevant, since it is the result that counts for what ever reason. We do it because it's who we are.

THE ISSUES IS NOT THE ILLEGALS, BUT CORPORATE GREED.

The Democrats blamed the right wing talk show hosts. Well, for once, and I do not listen to them and most of the time they are apologists for corporatism, but they hit it on the nail with the illegal issue.

I send a fax of this letter to hilary and obama… chastised them both. They are supposed to looking after the Americans first… not enslaving them. Especially, Obama, he was elected by the blacks, the poor and downtrodden, and he gets on his high horse and wants to screw those who voted for him… JESUS!!!!, WHAT THE HELL IS RIGHT ABOUT THIS COUNTRY. WHO THE HELL DO THEY THINK THEY REPRESENT.

When will we get real leaders… thinking seriously of voting Green Party… Yeah, I know, they have some screwy ideas, but at least they are sincere.

Read a report of a survey and only 5% have confidence in the President… and 20 % for Congress. And they voted themselves a 15000 dollar retirement for just serving one term.

No wonder they all become millionaires in office… Not to mention the pork jobs they get after leaving congress.

I knew a guy who knew Bob Dole, from russel, ks. Before he ran for congress, he was as poor as a church mouse… now he’s a multi-millionaire. As Emerson, Lake and Palmer says in one of their songs… “Something’s happening here////” And they said that back in the sixties. “Oh, Lucky one…”. Die for corporate America.


915.7

The hijacking of Barry Goldwater's conservatism by the neocoms.

Barry had a dream… a more individual freedom America. Let the individual decide, not big government. Free trade and free market with a level playing field. Responsible governmental spending and stewardship of the tax payer's dollars. He saw nothing evil in homosexuality, abortion is an individual choice, separation of church and state. But what happed?

The Neocoms corrupted that ideology. Instead of free trade and free market and a level playing field, we got corporatism, where the government fed of the corporate power structure and the corporate power structure sucked its substance from the government.

The goal being for each to feed off the other, the corporate conglomerates got rich, and in turn, gave the There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.

Government power. As sweetheart agreement… Mussolini called fascism, really corporatism… Or to put it another way, when government dictates business… it's called communism… and when business dictates to government, fascism (corporatism). Is that what we have today. That is the question.

Barry would be aghast today to hear that the neocons have flagrantly wasted millions in government spending, advocating the welding of religion and government, antiabortion and stem cell research, hostilities towards Gays and Lesbians.

In fact one of those guys wrote a book about how the republicans played on the racist south to gain republican votes….

It was the same situation for the south when they seceded… instead of corporatism, it was planntationism that seceded and used the poor whites as cannon folder, and spoke elegantly about states rights… ie, slavery… In fact, few today know that the war against Mexico, another sham, was to preserve slavery, since Mexico had outlawed it.


9.28.7

HERE WE GO AGAIN

LETTER TO DEMOCRACY NOW ON JENA

IF SIX WHITE GUYS BLINDSIDED A BLACK, KNOCKED HIM UNCOUSIOUS, THAN CONTINUED TO KICK HIM IN THE HEAD AND BODY, WE WOULD CALL THAT A HATE CRIME… AND WORTHY OF PUNISHMENT.

YET WHEN THE REVERSE HAPPENS, WE GET THE WHITE GUILT TRIP, AND ITS APPALLING THAT DEMOCRACY NOW, PANDERS TO THIS INSANE REACTION TO A CRIME.

One thing to note, the noose incident was not a crime… where's your justification for free speech… poor taste, absolutely. The kids were punished, the DA found no state laws violated and the Federal DA, a Black, likewise said the same thing. And this took place in August… and the beating took place in December.

Yet you persist in inflaming "MOB ACTION", which could lead to more violence. What ever happed to reasoned discussion of the issues? All these people protesting, do not know the whole story. They are razed up by the failed Black leadership of Jackson and Sharpton.

I too thought the sentence was exceedingly harsh, but the system did work and that was overturned. So where's the beef, the system worked.

The DA made the decision to try him as an adult because he was a past offender for crimes I do not know of. It was a judgment call. Myself, it was too harsh. But as I said, the system worked.

If anything, this is a black racist hate crime. To paraphrase Malcolm X, "They make criminal out of victims, and victims out of criminals".

Democracy Now has done a great job in broadcasting the News we don’t get from main stream media, but for Democracy Now has succumbed to
Hysterical coverage, which is not worthy of your reputation. I can only think that you are victims of White Guilt. And you patronize half truths, lies and distortions in presenting the Jena Story. The coverage was more attune to FOX news. You blew it.

You had a chance to calm the waters by pointing out both sides of the issue: recognizing that a crime was committed and that some legal action was reasonable. The debate is the degree of action. Somehow, you left the impression that the noose, and subsequent racism motivated the attack, hence, justified. According to NPR's account the kid was blindsided, for no apparent motive, four months after the noose incident.. Even if the attack was fueled by verbal trash talk, that does not excuse the crime. People everyday are charged with assault and their defense that someone yelled at them is not justified in the courts. If that was the case, all the guys who beat up their wife because she called him a shiftless bum, are justified in the assault. This of course, I am sure, you will agree…is an assault and a crime.

You had a chance to explain and discuss the situation, yet, you cowered and did not question the rational of the protest. You let the protestor rant and yell the racist words, without challenge. Without addressing the issue. Was this a crime? Was he blindsided, Is assault allowable in response to verbal bating? Did verbal bating exist? Was verbal bating a two way street? What could have the school and community have done better? (They did cut down the tree, so efforts were made to calm the situation.)

FREE OJ!!! ???


SIDE NOTE: I ONCE SAW CHRIS ROCK DO HIS N-WORD ROUTINE ON OPRAH’S DAY TIME SHOW. THIS YOUNG PERPLEXED 18 YEAR OLD GIRL ASK THE QUESTION, WHY DID HE USE THE N-WORD SO MUCH.

BOTH CHRIS AND OPRAH BROWBESTED HER IS SAYING ESSENTIALLY, THAT WHEN BLACK USE THE WORK, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT MEANING AND BLACKS UNDERSTAND THAT AND ARE NOT INSULTED. BUT WHEN WHITES USE IT, BLACKS AUTOMATICALLY FEEL THAT IT IS ONLY INTREPRETATED AS DEMEANING AND RACIST.

I thought, both were doing the very thing Blacks object to, stereotyping all Blacks as crooks and drug addicts who are not responsible. Yet, they were stereotyping all whites as when the N-word, only as demeaning and racist.

Stereotyping ethnic groups by any ethnic group is wrong.

John McWorter, a Phd linguist once made an astute statement : RACISM WAS AN INCONVENANCE, NOT AN OBSTRUCTION... Everybody, should remember this and not use excuses to achieve. And many have… and sadly, many haven’t.

I know many will take this and my blogs the wrong way... i know, not politically correct, but i'm over sixties, so i don't give a damn. If you really want to know me, read my book, "covenant betrayed". I'm really a nice caring guy.
but i can't stand what i consider hypocrisy. it just seems that everybody's out there to take what they can, no matter how they do it or what it involves. But, remember, you have to live with yourself... want to read a great short story, read "tthe death of ivan ilych, by tolstoy, and i think you will understand.
Mark Dahl

Military Heath at Walter Reed/VA

Well now we are hearing a lot about poor conditions at Walter Reed... ie poor care. Let me explain, first the care at Walter Reed is top notched. So why did the general and the secretary get fired... because there was some peeled paint in the shower etc. and granted, it is depressing for the soldiers, but who is to blame?

The blame rests on the very persons who fired the guys... They are the ones who cut funding to the military and VA hospitals, so what are the docs supposed to do? Spend the money of paint, or on medical care. Obviously, the decision was made to spend it where it is most needed, and that's on care. These guys are the president, his henchmen, and Copngress. Yet the media wants to blame the docs who are doing a hell of a job. Not one person puts the blame where it belongs....

They are trying to find a scapegoat for their gross incompetance. Sadly the media jumps on the band wagon, and shouts the sound bites of horrors wrought on our soldiers. The media, is also to blame for feeding the fires of disdain. What jerks. Do your job, and investigate and report the truth.

What American need to know is that whenever you hear a story about the Military/VA hospitals, it is not their fault, but those who cut the funds.

This is just more BS coming from gutless politians who are more interested in hyping their next elections. I understand that at least five senators, republicans are coming up for election in 2008 and they are in trouble.

So what do they do to cloud over Iraq, create a ruse to deflect the real issues, the hopeless conditions in Iraq.

I would like to point out that the major developments in prothesises have come from the military and VA hospitals. And we all benefit from it.

So, spread the word, this is trash talkin' from those who created the mess to begin with. Ask yourself, what would you want the docs to do, paint the walls, or pay for medicines and medical equipment?

The question I have thought about recently is ... it demeaning to call coaches, "Black coaches" but not call white coaches, "white" coaches. the same with politians... And actors... why do we call Forest Whittiger a "Black" Actor, why not call him what he is, a great actor? SOMEONE THAT CAN PLAY ANY PART... NOT JUST ONE THE PART THAT BLACKS ARE EXPECTED TO PLAY?


Recently, with the Super Bowl hype and buildup, all we heard was two Black coaches in the Super Bowl... Why can't we just call them great coaches... If we always specify, the race of Aftrican Americans and Latinos, but not all ethnic groups, does this imply that everybody else is not up to snuff, and somehow lacking? I don't believe that.

Maybe, it's OK, to praise these two coaches as "Black" since this is the first time it happened. It is true that the NFL were slow as molassis in hiring minorities as coaches... and more importantly head coaches... So maybe this is something people need to do, perhaps, a way of absolving their guilt.

This attitude was the same with quarterbacks.... many great college quarterbacks did not draft well, solely because they were black... And when the first ones came on board, and proved themselves, everybody made a big deal about it. Today, I rarely hear that so and so is a Black quarterback, and that's good... The same with basketball players, and the other Black players in football as well as in other sports.

Bill Russel once said, that he hated it when people lauded him as a great Black basketball player and that he had natural talent... His bristled response," I was a great player because i practiced day and night all year long and more than the other guy"... Larry Byrd, likewise was great, not because he was white, but he too practice his three pointers, all year around.

Let's give the credit to the excellence of hard work and deternination.

We no longer talk of Tiger Woods, or the William's sisters, as Black golfers or tennis players...

Just for the record, my thoughts are that they are two great coaches... and in time, that is how people will look at those who achieve, regardless of identifying ethnic groups.

And that is progress... slow but still progress regardless. My only sadness, is that it took so long.

Musings, a collection of thoughts over the past year.

What as joke… all of a sudden, those republicans sound like tree huggers…. I don’t buy it. Never will.

Iran…. Is a lost cause. I will never support an attack on Iran… I'm a gullible guy, but once lied to , always vow never to be lied to again.

No matter what the bushites say, my thoughts are that it's just another big lie. He could actually tell the American people that the sun will rise tomorrow morning and would I believe him? Hell no.

I'm am coming to the conclusion that bush will go down in history as the worst president… oops, sorry, I mean king bush the second, in our history.

I am disgusted with the way we treat those poor guys in cuba. Most of them were just caught up in something they had no control over. Is this our legacy? To violate and torture, to force feed, those guys… Gee, maybe I should write a book,… I will call it Gulag America.

You know that there are kids down there in that prison… 12-14 year olds…. Wanton terrorists, no doubt. They even had to get a pediatric doc to take care of them. He told the bosses that they were just kids… let them go. They refused. He resigned in disgust.

Not to mention that teenager muslims are in jail in Virginia because they were caught playing paintball games in the woods…"obliviously", training for a terrorist attack.


And they want to get their piece of meat by executing that guy from France. They can’t get the real bad dudes… so they pick a sacrificial lamb and blame him for everything. What a crock… They even tried to rig the trail.

I do have hope that the Iraqi get their act together and pull this freedom out of the bag. But that's up to them. Not us. The answer is very simple..;. all they have to do is to make a real effort to share power, and to share the oil, and to keep religion out of government. Sound so simple… doesn’t it. If the Sunni's can really feel enfranchised, than the insurgent movement will die on the vine.

But what we now see are the "police" rounding up Sunnis's and killing them. Sorry, but that is not going to bring the country together.

Saw bush down in New Orleans, again…. AGAIN. What a joke. Where was he when the kids had no water to drink. No food. And bodies floatied in the streets.

How incompetent can you get. Cuba, had for a long time an extensive program to deal with hurricanes… it's a well organized plan to take all the people from the coast line into the mountains.

It seems to me that if Cuba can do this… why can't we do this… I mean, we know the levies would not with stand an assault greater then level three.

What the hell is wrong with the republicans…. Who refuse to recognize this disaster? And do something about it. It seems the only way to get them to act is to catch bush getting a blow job. And worse what about the democrats?

And what about big business. Where do we have leadership. The Wall Street Journal, since they got a new managing editor, now sounds like the propaganda arm of the bushites. This is the newspaper that once had the mission statement of "free press, free market" one of the greatest mission statements ever formulated. Yet now, they defended Martha Steward, said Shiavo, should be given back to her parents so they can keep her alive forever, just like Lenin, in his glass tomb, sprouting mushrooms on his head from time to time .

Where is corporate America that rose up in the late sixties and said the Vietnam war needs to be resolved.

Where is the media… where are the Walter Cronkite's, the ed morrows, who stood up and said enough is enough.

Where is the church? It seems they are more interested in the Armageddon, so God will raise only the true believers in a hurricane up to heaven.

Oh, I forgot . thank you china for supplying AK-47's to the Sudanese so they can do there ethnic cleansing…in Darfur. It's really unbelievable. Isn't it. They provide the arms with the profits they make from selling goods to Americans. My hands are bloodied, and I can't wash it off. Damn.

I'm afraid the republican have awakened "the sleeping giant" immigrant power is the mantra. How stupid are they, to make it a felony to want to better your life.

And get this, 100 bucks for gas…. Gee, thanks a LOT. It's condescending… reminds me of Marie Antoinette's famous statement, "let them eat cake". Such hubris.

Rummy defends the war, still, again 5/4/6: al queda's was in iraq, and wmd were there when we attached… he said, why do you think the soldiers wore gas masks when they invaded. Dulhhhh, could it be that you told them to? And told all of us the same thing. What stupid thinking. You tell someone there are wmds, you believe your government, put on a gas masks, and march off to war. We all believed you. I still remember in early March, cheney, looked me straight in the face and said that Saddam could have the bomb as early as May…. of that year.

But the mantra in the white house was , "start a war, win reelection." Do I really believe that, No, not really, but if they can tell me they believed in al queda and wmds. Than I believe my above statement, using their won twisted " rational and logic".

7.7.6

Plastic shrink wrap is worse than running your fingernail across the blackboard.

But plastic encased commercial products, are even worse. I thinks it was developed by Iago. To watch the joy of your suffering trying to open the package.


The Pope finally took over the supreme court… Well, maybe it's still a wash, 4.5 vs 4.5, since one is really on the line.

But one more appointed supreme court judge in the next two years, will insure the establishment of the fascist state.

1/3/7

Ford was an honest man. A good man, father, husband, someone you would be proud that your daughter married… but gee, all this about the great decision maker, who healed the nationby pardoning Nixon….


Bush actually wins out over Nixon as the worst pres. Anyway, here’s a guy who brook the law, committed crimes far greater than a blow job, and he gets a pass…. How can we expect honesty in our leaders, if the top leader gets off? Anyway, it looked like we were burying Ike, Roosevelt , Lincoln, Truman. And Washington all in one glorious funeral. The neoncons needed an honest face, the dems wanted to show that all repubs are not all bad, the media, wanted to rack up more profits through ratings. And everybody wanted to wave the flag, as bush singed the new postal law, stating that he can open private first class mail any time he wants, doesn’t need a warrant. And nobody squeaked.

I have this dreadful dreadful dreadful feeling. The euphoria we now have will, be outrage in three months. We saw it once before, Vietnam, “I am not gonna cut funds from our boys in Vietnam and leave them in harms way.” And all in congress with continuaned their funding of the war, and nary no one will blink an eye. No one will ask, why can’t congress just pass funds for defensive purposes during the pullout? We provide the money, to protect the soldiers, and that’s that. Very simple. I simply do not understand why Americans want to kill more Americans, because 3000 have already been killed… lets look at this logic….

3000 killed, hence, we must kill more soldiers to honor them… and than it’s 4000, 5000… when will someone say enough is enough.

What the neocons want is to push the dem congress to cut funds, and this will be their banner for the elections in the next 30 years… just like Vietnam… ‘We lost Nam, because in 1974 we cut the funding… Actually, that cut in funding was only about 30%, not complete as they implied… And the media, never challenged them on this..

At this time the ARVN had the fourth largest airforce in the world, and all the heavy arms left by the disengaging Americans… They were fat,,, believe me, fat in armaments. Hence, the cuts were only symbolic..




Musings, a collection of thoughts over the past year.

What as joke… all of a sudden, those republicans sound like tree huggers…. I don’t buy it. Never will.

Iran…. Is a lost cause. I will never support an attack on Iran… I'm a gullible guy, but once lied to , always vow never to be lied to again.

No matter what the bushites say, my thoughts are that it's just another big lie. He could actually tell the American people that the sun will rise tomorrow morning and would I believe him? Hell no.

I'm am coming to the conclusion that bush will go down in history as the worst president… oops, sorry, I mean king bush the second, in our history.

I am disgusted with the way we treat those poor guys in cuba. Most of them were just caught up in something they had no control over. Is this our legacy? To violate and torture, to force feed, those guys… Gee, maybe I should write a book,… I will call it Gulag America.

You know that there are kids down there in that prison… 12-14 year olds…. Wanton terrorists, no doubt. They even had to get a pediatric doc to take care of them. He told the bosses that they were just kids… let them go. They refused. He resigned in disgust.

Not to mention that teenager muslims are in jail in Virginia because they were caught playing paintball games in the woods…"obliviously", training for a terrorist attack.


And they want to get their piece of meat by executing that guy from France. They can’t get the real bad dudes… so they pick a sacrificial lamb and blame him for everything. What a crock… They even tried to rig the trail.

I do have hope that the Iraqi get their act together and pull this freedom out of the bag. But that's up to them. Not us. The answer is very simple..;. all they have to do is to make a real effort to share power, and to share the oil, and to keep religion out of government. Sound so simple… doesn’t it. If the Sunni's can really feel enfranchised, than the insurgent movement will die on the vine.

But what we now see are the "police" rounding up Sunnis's and killing them. Sorry, but that is not going to bring the country together.

Saw bush down in New Orleans, again…. AGAIN. What a joke. Where was he when the kids had no water to drink. No food. And bodies floatied in the streets.

How incompetent can you get. Cuba, had for a long time an extensive program to deal with hurricanes… it's a well organized plan to take all the people from the coast line into the mountains.

It seems to me that if Cuba can do this… why can't we do this… I mean, we know the levies would not with stand an assault greater then level three.

What the hell is wrong with the republicans…. Who refuse to recognize this disaster? And do something about it. It seems the only way to get them to act is to catch bush getting a blow job. And worse what about the democrats?

And what about big business. Where do we have leadership. The Wall Street Journal, since they got a new managing editor, now sounds like the propaganda arm of the bushites. This is the newspaper that once had the mission statement of "free press, free market" one of the greatest mission statements ever formulated. Yet now, they defended Martha Steward, said Shiavo, should be given back to her parents so they can keep her alive forever, just like Lenin, in his glass tomb, sprouting mushrooms on his head from time to time .

Where is corporate America that rose up in the late sixties and said the Vietnam war needs to be resolved.

Where is the media… where are the Walter Cronkite's, the ed morrows, who stood up and said enough is enough.

Where is the church? It seems they are more interested in the Armageddon, so God will raise only the true believers in a hurricane up to heaven.

Oh, I forgot . thank you china for supplying AK-47's to the Sudanese so they can do there ethnic cleansing…in Darfur. It's really unbelievable. Isn't it. They provide the arms with the profits they make from selling goods to Americans. My hands are bloodied, and I can't wash it off. Damn.

I'm afraid the republican have awakened "the sleeping giant" immigrant power is the mantra. How stupid are they, to make it a felony to want to better your life.

And get this, 100 bucks for gas…. Gee, thanks a LOT. It's condescending… reminds me of Marie Antoinette's famous statement, "let them eat cake". Such hubris.

Rummy defends the war, still, again 5/4/6: al queda's was in iraq, and wmd were there when we attached… he said, why do you think the soldiers wore gas masks when they invaded. Dulhhhh, could it be that you told them to? And told all of us the same thing. What stupid thinking. You tell someone there are wmds, you believe your government, put on a gas masks, and march off to war. We all believed you. I still remember in early March, cheney, looked me straight in the face and said that Saddam could have the bomb as early as May…. of that year.

But the mantra in the white house was , "start a war, win reelection." Do I really believe that, No, not really, but if they can tell me they believed in al queda and wmds. Than I believe my above statement, using their won twisted " rational and logic".

7.7.6

Plastic shrink wrap is worse than running your fingernail across the blackboard.

But plastic encased commercial products, are even worse. I thinks it was developed by Iago. To watch the joy of your suffering trying to open the package.


The Pope finally took over the supreme court… Well, maybe it's still a wash, 4.5 vs 4.5, since one is really on the line.

But one more appointed supreme court judge in the next two years, will insure the establishment of the fascist state.

1/3/7

Ford was an honest man. A good man, father, husband, someone you would be proud that your daughter married… but gee, all this about the great decision maker, who healed the nationby pardoning Nixon….


Bush actually wins out over Nixon as the worst pres. Anyway, here’s a guy who brook the law, committed crimes far greater than a blow job, and he gets a pass…. How can we expect honesty in our leaders, if the top leader gets off? Anyway, it looked like we were burying Ike, Roosevelt , Lincoln, Truman. And Washington all in one glorious funeral. The neoncons needed an honest face, the dems wanted to show that all repubs are not all bad, the media, wanted to rack up more profits through ratings. And everybody wanted to wave the flag, as bush singed the new postal law, stating that he can open private first class mail any time he wants, doesn’t need a warrant. And nobody squeaked.

I have this dreadful dreadful dreadful feeling. The euphoria we now have will, be outrage in three months. We saw it once before, Vietnam, “I am not gonna cut funds from our boys in Vietnam and leave them in harms way.” And all in congress with continuaned their funding of the war, and nary no one will blink an eye. No one will ask, why can’t congress just pass funds for defensive purposes during the pullout? We provide the money, to protect the soldiers, and that’s that. Very simple. I simply do not understand why Americans want to kill more Americans, because 3000 have already been killed… lets look at this logic….

3000 killed, hence, we must kill more soldiers to honor them… and than it’s 4000, 5000… when will someone say enough is enough.

What the neocons want is to push the dem congress to cut funds, and this will be their banner for the elections in the next 30 years… just like Vietnam… ‘We lost Nam, because in 1974 we cut the funding… Actually, that cut in funding was only about 30%, not complete as they implied… And the media, never challenged them on this..

At this time the ARVN had the fourth largest airforce in the world, and all the heavy arms left by the disengaging Americans… They were fat,,, believe me, fat in armaments. Hence, the cuts were only symbolic..

Dred Scott and the Free internet

I was thinking about the Dred Scott decision the other day... although, to day, this decision by the supreme court in 1956 that Dred Scott was still property, hence, to be returned to his owners was the wrong decision. Since the decision was made before the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment, it was a just decision, if one is an advocate of strict intrepretation of the constitution. And that is the problem with that concept.

Even the critics of judicial activism, critisize the Dred Scott decision as wrong, yet they still hold to the strict intrepretation of the constitution. Ironic, i think.

So in this case, they are themselves are beleivers in an active juduciary, in not holding the strict intrepratation of the constitution.

Generally, I do not believe that the founders really believed that future judgements should be based entirely on the strict constituional intrepretation.

Of course, there are situations in which I would agree with them. An example, today, our Congress has nullified the Magna Carta, and important chunks of the constition with it's new law recently passed on habes corpus etc. In this situation, i wonder how this present court will act on this question... will they overturn the law? or support it? Will they be strict intrepretors of the constition or will they be activist judges, that is the questionn... using the argument today that the times affects the intrepretation.

So how does one decide on the merits of judicial activism versus strict intrepretation. On one hand the use of judicial activism can justify, almost anything, but on the other hand, strict intreprtation likewise, as in the
Dred Scott decision, is if not legally wrong, but clearly morally wrong.

We have a tendency to think in black and white... not the obvious grey in the decision making process. So, how is the right decision made. to strictly intrepret or loosly intrepret with the changing times.

My thoughts are conventional wisdom, or Group Think, a concept that implies that the larger and more represented the group is involved in the decision making process, makes a better decisions than a small group of experts... An example, today conventional wisdom overwhelmingly tells us that Iraq is a lost cause. Everybody knows this except for a very small group who still maintains that victory is just around the corner. It was the same with Vietnam.

And the key to this decision making precess is the free internet. In the free internet, all ideas are represented, and avaiable to read. No longer are we limited of the information we receive by the large media, which, of itself may and often, has it's own political agenda favorable to them, not the people.

Interestingly, before the Gutenberg printing press of moveable type, information was only available to the kings and the chuch. They controlled knowledge. But with the free information from the printing press, they no longer had that hold over the people. They read, thought, and changed civilization for the better. They demanded more freedom, more voice in their lives. And they changed the world.

Today, the intenet is what i call the second information revolution... but it may not always be as free as it is today... There is a big battle going on about the concept of net neutrality... who controls the internet, the people or the large corporations... the big telecommunication companies argue that since they pay for the expensive infrastructure, that they should be able to charge receivers of information as much as they want. Opposed to this are groups like google, microsoft, and others who feel that if they get this power, the free exchange of information will be again suppressed.

The telecommunication people say, hold on, we won't censor... but if we invest billions on the infrastructure we should be paid. Being paid for the infra structure is a fair statement. But we already see in the world today attempts for governments to suppress the internet... China is the prime example... And internet concerns are cooperating with China, because they want their business.

WE do not want the telecommunicating industry, sometime in the future, to say, they do not want you to get access to certain information... perhaps, even the government likewise, like China would do the same. And the same for big business, and the results would be that you get only the information, like we have today from the mainstrean media, that they want to give you.

In fact, we even have government attempting to limit the information that the main stream media gives out. A recent example is a colunm written in the NYTimes with blackout sections of information that has already been published in bits and pieces before, and information that even the CIA says is not secret, and they acknowledge has already been published in bid and pieces, yet the Bush administration objected and insisted that certain portions be blacked out. (This was an article about the past cooporation between Iran and the USA. Also, in this article it talks about how iran, was very cooperative after 911 and wanted to and they did help with the invasion of Iran.)But since Bush's Axis of Evil speech, both Iran, as well as North Korea, both wanted better relations with the USA, but bulked and initiated their nuclear policies after the Axil of Evil speech, since they felt betrayed.

But today, the Bushies want us to beleive that Iran and N.Korea are super evil... so that we can use our power to bowl them over, yet, we lost an opportuity for better relations. And perhaps today, we would not be on this course of nuclear anilation.

Well, i started off with Dred Scott, a quesion i asked, and ended up with censorship and the free internet... Well, i hope it makes sense... but the progression just flowed out, begining with Dred Scott, and expanding on the ambuguities of making a decison, and how to determine what is the right decision.

mark dahl 12.25.6

ARE THEY CHUMPING AT THE BITs... HOPING TO TAKE OVER THE SENATE?

I really dont think so... perhaps some, but not most. KKKarl Rove... yeah, i think so, he's a shark He will do anything for power... something which he has in common with those of that mentality... let's see, Hitler,.. Saddamn .. well you get the picture. Bush... not really, but I have to add that Chaney is chumping at the bits.

And probably some more. Well, it aint gonna happen... GWU saved Reagin, Chaney. But medicine knows no enemy, except disease.

In Missouri, lethyl injection is on hold... They can't find a single doc to oversee the executions.. The same in Calif and now Florida... Acutally, Missouri did have a "doctor" that oversaw the excuitions, but he admitted that he had dylexia, and as a result gave a much lower dose of sodium pentothal, the first drug to put you to sleep, so when they gave the second drug, that paralysed the muscles... the patient was awake and couln't breath.... resulting in painful angina, due to a lack of oxygen, while waiting to die. Good greif...

Excutions is a dirty business. When Kansas used to hang'm high, a third of the times it did not result in a broken neck, hense, they choked to death.... twisting in the wind, so to speak... of course, some would shout cheers...

Heard they wanted to hang Saddam in the largest sports stadium in Baghdad. with a 100,000 spectators....

This remindes me of Munch's painting " the primal scream".

But the good news is that the judges insist that a doctor oversees the project, and to date, they have no takers... thanks God... for physicians's ethics.

So, it looks like lethyl injection is out... and they have to find another way... maybe we could do the gullitine... that's a sure bet... hanging? no, to many problems.... the brits had a book on how to calculate the length of the drop to break the neck, but not decapitate them, which happened at times... for the kids, they had a guy below who had to jump up and grap the lag and pull down to do the job.

In Baghdad, recently, the rope broke... and they had an hour long debate whether this was devine intervenation... finally, decided it wasn't, just a overused rope that was too springy... so they got a new rope..

sorry for this barbaric blog... William Bourrough was once asked why he was so gross in his description about exucutions, in the book, The Naked Lunch.... He said, that he despised capital punishment so much that it made him totally sick... and that's the way i feel. AGGHHHHhhhhh!!!!

But thank God, that there is some sanity in medicine and in doctors who still abid by the oath,,, "do no harm"

Hopefully others will pick up on this idea.

md 12.16.6

12.7.6 FLIGHT 93 MOVIE AND THOUGHTS

Notes: Just saw the Flight 93 movie on DVD. It was painful. I relived my experience of 911. I got up to go to work, sat in front of the TV, turned on CNN, and, saw the report that a small plane had just crashed into WTC. then the second plane, then the pentagon, and finally Flight 93. I watch the first WTC fall, and heard the screams of all the lives being instantly killed, on live TV. Then the second, more lives killed on live TV. Panic, fear set in.

And so we attacked Iraq, to get rid of Saddam… How crazy, I thought. Blind emotional rage. Somebody had to pay, Before that, Afghanistan… that seemed reasonable…. But Iraq? I was confused. Now three and one half years of gross government incompetence. Resulting in misery for all.

Why did this happen is the philosophical question I have struggled with. My thoughts are that folly, was the result of the greatest frailty of our genetic makeup.

Evolutionarily, our brain, is really composed of three parts, the primitive brain, first, the mid brain, and lastly evolved the cognitive modern brain…

So, how does that get us in trouble? It’s like this. Our first response to danger is the primitive brain,,, or another way of thinking, the emotional brain. This brain, is the fight or flight brain of rapid reaction to a perceived threat… also, the euphoria of the teen age first love… (So, the primitive brain is not all bad.)

There are many emotional responses: hate, lust, terror, , ecstasy, pathos progressing to bathos, etc etc. you can think of others, Anyway, These emotional reactions, are uncontrollable, The reaction is lightning fast, automatic.

Think of the emotional brain as no more advanced than that of the cockroach, which scurries across the kitchen floor in panic when one turn on the kitchen light. It’s true… just think about it. When a cockroach scurries, it is using the same brain that we are using when we react with out primitive brain. It reacts unthinking, it is the release of a cascade of automatic reaction we have no control over.

Keep in mind; it’s not all bad… think of the ecstasy of being smitten for the first time. (Like what happened to me when I first met my wife, Liz) And I’m still smitten.

Or the glow in first holding a newborn baby. That aint all-bad, is it?

Yet, the positive, also has the opposite negative reaction, hate, revenge, striking out without thought.

And that’s what happened after 911. We, and our nation struck out with negative consequences…irrational war with Iraq…. Before, we also struck out with war with Afghanistan… but in this case with hindsight, at this time, there was a rational cognitive reason for that action.

Our brain’s, later temporal response, is the slower cognitive response based on reason… you want to still alive. Still the right move, such as when one reacts to a fast moving car heading straight towards you, and you automatically turn the wheel to avoid the danger… wise decision retrospectively, Right… but sometimes, the rationality is not there, like the war with Iraq.

I remember sitting on the edge of my chair, yelling at Bush to act… In February, of 2003, because Dick Chaney, looked me in the eye and said, Saddam could have an atomic bomb, as early as May, 2003.

Yeah, even me was only reacting with my primitive cockroach brain.

We did not question anything? … (And if you are more interested, check out, the psychology of Cognitive Dissonance, An interesting concept that even though we know that smoking causes lung cancer and emphysema, we even deceive our cognitive brain and top it off use our rational brain to rationalize our smoking, that, it is not really THAT bad for you… And so, what, it serves, a purposed calming the nerves in a stressful situation of s shy person, at a party with unknown strangers…. Amazing… isn’t it. buts this illustrates the power, the hold, and permanents, the primitive brain holds us captive.
We even use our cognitive brain to rationalize the actions of the emotional brain.)

And this is what happened… the power and strength of the primitive brain, even overrules the slower reacting modern, cognitive brain… And hence, we have Iraq and it’s failures… with this reaction, we become wallowed and stuck in the tar pits of destruction through the development of HUBRIS…. The rational justification. Which only cements our invincible non-rational,… just plain stupid, thinking to destruction, not only to ourselves, but to all those whom we have power over.

Much of all human misery, thought out the history of man, can be explained with this concept. Think about it, just regular average German citizens…. and the response to the Holocaust. I say much, not all, since there are situations of misery wrought on us not related to this concept… think, the pain of losing your child by a serious fatal illness.


The point I want to make is this. The cognitive brain, the modern brain, has a tough job, it must use it resources not only to think rationally, but also to be aware that your rational brain may deceive you, to reinforce the emotional brain… think Cognitive Dissonance.

So, how does one react to this dilemma? Ask the question, can the rational cognitive brain, actually ever overcome the illogic of the emotional brain?

Can all we say is that all we have to do is to say, hey; don’t let the emotional brain overrule the cognitive brain… easy enough, right…?

Rather than me explain this farther, Sharon Begley, my favorite science writer, for the Wall Street Journal. Does an excellent job in trying to answer this and below, is a column she wrote recently, about another School of Psychology that is looking into this very issue.

See below.

You Might Help a Teen Avoid Dumb Behavior
By Nurturing Intuition
November 3, 2006; Page B1
As adolescents and young adults head into another weekend of (for many) driving too fast, drinking too much, smoking and doing their all to perpetuate the species, at least we know why they engage in self-destructive risk-taking. Adolescents feel invulnerable ("Me, get hurt? No way.") and drastically underestimate risks ("Come on, what are the chances of getting pregnant the first time -- 100 to 1?").
Except that they don't.
For 40 years both popular and scholarly wisdom have held that the reason adolescents court risk is twofold: They believe danger bounces off them and they low-ball the chances that it will bring harmful consequences. They have weighed the risk (low), taken stock of their resilience or skill or smarts (excellent) and made the "rational" decision to drag-race down Main Street while inebriated. This explanation implies that when teens do stupid things, it is for rational reasons.
There is a problem with this explanation. "Adolescents don't tend to underestimate the probability of major risks, nor [do they generally have] feelings of invulnerability," argues Keith Stanovich of the University of Toronto in the new issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
That is bad news for parents and schools that try to reduce teens' risk-taking with a rational, fact-based approach. You know the strategies: Tell them the facts about the likelihood of getting HIV/AIDS from unprotected sex and reason with them about why it's a bad idea to book a hotel room for prom night, and all will be well.
If kids know the odds, and have no illusions that they are immune from the laws of virology, however, this approach won't make a whit of difference. "Interventions stressing accurate risk perceptions are apt to be ineffective or backfire because young people already feel vulnerable and overestimate their risk," Valerie F. Reyna of Cornell University and Frank Farley of Temple University write in the journal. That these approaches are so popular, they say, shows that prevention programs are "not based on [scientific] evidence."
The evidence they offer, from 300 studies on adolescent risk-taking, strongly undercuts the conventional wisdom. National surveys show that adolescents typically overestimate risks of contracting HIV and lung cancer, of dying in a hurricane or earthquake, and every other risk they were asked to assess. Their guesstimate of the odds that they will die from crime, illness or accident in the next year or by age 20 is much higher than reality. In short, they don't see themselves as invulnerable, but "as more vulnerable than adults do," says Prof. Reyna.
Here's the rub: Teens tend to underestimate the bad consequences of risky behavior. They think, yeah, smoking will give me cancer (only 18% of teen smokers deny that most lifelong smokers die of a smoking-related disease), or unprotected sex will give me a sexually transmitted disease. But how bad can that be -- especially compared with the benefits of smoking or sex?
Social acceptance and the allure of rebellion right now outweigh the costs later. (Even adults, not to mention financiers, prefer immediate benefits to future ones.) Teaching teens to assess risks accurately won't decrease stupid behavior -- they're already pretty accurate at gauging the consequences. They just aren't much bothered by them. No wonder three million new cases of STDs are diagnosed in U.S. adolescents each year.
Young people are especially bad at resisting risk when they're with peers and when they make decisions on the spur of the moment. In these cases, the emotional brain hijacks the logical one, so knowing the numerical risk of driving drunk won't stop them. That information is suppressed.
What, then, might keep teens from doing dumb things?
Mature adults manage to avoid risky behavior not because they're better at conscious deliberation, the scientists say, but because they intuitively grasp dangers. They go with their gut. "As a result of knowledge, experience and insight, they grasp the essence, the gist, of a situation," says Prof. Reyna. "They don't stop and deliberate on the costs and benefits of risky behaviors."
Getting young people to do the same thing arguably holds more promise than improving their powers of deliberation. For one thing, that is limited by the fact that, until your mid-20s, the brain's frontal lobes are still maturing. Regions responsible for curbing impulsivity, thinking ahead and making sound decisions aren't necessarily up to the job. But grasping the gist is something even 18-year-olds can manage.
"Deliberately weighing costs and benefits often encourages risky behavior," says Prof. Reyna. "You have a better chance if you get teens to pick up, unconsciously, that a behavior is dangerous and intuitively avoid it."
She and colleagues are doing that in a continuing study of 800 teens. Through emotion-packed films and novels, they drum into kids' heads positive images of healthy behaviors and negative images of risky behavior (a benign version of how the doctors in "A Clockwork Orange" pair violent images with nausea). The idea is to make the thought of risky behavior reflexively trigger a no-go decision. All the evidence, as opposed to folk wisdom, says this is more likely to work than current tactics.
• You can email me at sciencejournal@wsj.com.

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Great article… isn’t it?

The gist of the article is that even the rational brain, cannot always abate the dangers of the rational brain… And the way, to sensitize the emotional brain, to emotinallly respond with retaining the emotional brain, to feel the pain of war by transference to one’s own emotional reaction… The mind is so complex, right!!!

Another classic in psychology, is William Sargent’s 1963 book, “The battle for the mind”, detailing the nature of brainwashing… that’s is thought conversion. The gist is that one becomes very susceptible to thought conversion, during any hyperemotional state, such as ecstasy, terror, etc. And it is only during this state that new ideas can be introduced into your brain… much akin, to Begley’s article… on reprogramming the emotional brain.

Sargents relates the story of Kim, by Kipling… and how Kim avoided the thought conversion of the svengali, by not becoming emotionally involved, hence knowingly, being brainwashed, but without cognizance. So Kim, when challenged with an emotional thought conversion, he refuses by continually going over the multiplication tables in his mind blunting the conversion… So, the way not to be brainwashed, is not to let the hyper emotional state open up the mind to thought conversion.

Much of Sargent’s works deals with the reason for American Soldiers to denounce the USA, when POW’S in North Korea… Sargent, I believe he testified in the Patty Hearst trial, stating, that Patty was essentially brainwashed, by the SLA. They locked her in a closet for three weeks, and from time to time opened the door, to emotionally assault her. Hence, she became so emotionally distraught, not knowing that each time they opened the door, whether or not she would be killed, raped or beaten.

SHE was not responsible for her actions… just like, the POW’s… and today, the torture techniques, such as water boarding, and the other techniques, often, of course the results is inaccurate information… given for the sole purpose of relieving the torture.

Hey, I would say anything, to prevent being water boarded. And most anybody else would too.

Sorry for the long discussion, but this is a fascinating field of philosophy… and think about how you can impress that special girl, with these ideas. She will think you are husband material, brilliant. And a class “A”guy… And the same for the gals, to impress, their man… Yell, she’s really smart.

More importantly, I hope this gives you some understanding about yourself, and how you behave… Always think about this… so you won’t blow it like our government did …

And it applies to everyday life also.

MARK DAHL… 12.20 AM 12.7.6, THAT DAY WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED IN THE MINDS OF OUR PARENTS. JUST LIKE NOV. 22, 1963 FOR MY GENERATION. AND 911 FOR YOURS AND ALSO MINE.

If you happen to read, “Covenant Betrayed”, you will understand my struggle with reality during the sixties… History in the present is difficult to evaluate… and Covenant Betrayed, reflects the confusion we all had during this time. And today, the same with Iraq; however, on thoughts, the Sixties, to me seemed a 100 times more divisive, than Iraq is today.

md…. Time to go to bed… gotta work tomorrow… Oh, Go, I’m gonna be dragging tomorrow. … Alas, I tonight, I am now at peace with myself… so I know I can at least sleep, and not toss and turn all night, in despair and uncertainty





Understanding of the primitive brain… and the cognitive brain.

11.19.6

Fox’s Christmas Show

Well, it appears that the Christmas Movies season is upon us. And the first will by that horror Christmas show by Fox about OJ’s book, “If I did it”. Actually, Fox will not show the show on TV. Obviously, no advertisers will advertise for it.

So, what’s the deal? Let me explain. When I was at UCLA, I took a course from the Hollywood Reporter about publicity. The Hollywood rules are:

1. The best publicity is free.

2. Good publicity is better than bad publicity

3. Bad publicity is better than no publicity.

And this is what you are getting, this is all a sham. Free publicity for the TV show that will not show on commercial TV… But at the last minute will be canned, and offered on Pay TV. At 50 dollars a pop.

Fox even got Bill O’Reilly to can his own network. Do you really believe that he’s doing this against the wishes of his masters? Hell no, he is fanning the publicity so that the Pay TV show will make even more money.

Remember when Princess Diana died in the car wreck… and at three o’clock in the morning Tom Cruise was talking on all the talk shows. Was this because he hated the paparazzis? No, his publicist called him to call and bitch about it on the talk show circus.

Here’s a guy that makes 20 million dollars a movie, and he can’t afford to hire ten body guards and pay them 100,000 dollars a year for a protected circle around him. Of course he can, plus, it’s deductible. He and his publicist loved the razzle dazzle romps he had with the paparazzis.

And now, He used them to film and take pictures of his wedding… No complaints now… what a phony.

So, think about it, it’s all free publicity… remember, Cruise pays his publicist 10% of his income. And he expects to be rewarded for it… Ever hear of Robert DeNiro, screaming about this. Hell no, he walks around New York by himself all the time, and the cabbies always yell hello at him and he waves back. But he doesn’t make 20 mil a movie.

So, don’t get sucked in. Remember the three rules. And you too can make 20 mil a pic.


mark Dahl

11.15.6


Well, I was really depressed election day. I was convinced that this like the last two elections would be stolen… I’m convinced that the last two elections were a conspiracy to deny the poor to vote. To make it difficult to cast their ballot.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the results, even for a republican like myself, but for the last six years I felt alienated… actually, I’ve been alienated since 1980. It seemed that every politician has lied to us. Reagan, violated the Boland amendment. Rummy shook hands with Saddam, and then went to war against him. The iraq-iran war was a shame. We first supported Iran, than reversed and supported Saddam. What crock? Just more of the samo samo. I do have to say Bush 1 is respected. He had the knowledge not to get us bogged down in Iraq. Whey!!!!, but alas, his son did.

I am still wondering how history will treat Bush 2, I think he will rival Grant on corruption. And my thoughts are that he would have to be rated lower than Grant, since he got us bogged down in a war on lies and false patriotism. How tragic, all those young lives lost, how tragic, the torture of the psychic souls, our soldiers, who will be haunted by post traumatic stress for the rest of their lives. One does not realize that the physically wounded, represents only a very small number when compared to the mentally wounded, I estimate by the nature of the war that up to 80 % will have varying degrees of post traumatic stress, and often will be under treated.

And not to mention, the tragic violence in Iraq. And their suffering much more massive, at least a 1000 folds.

I just read a book review about the hiring practices of the coalition government. The key qualification was whether or not you were a loyal republican. It’s outrageous to read that a young kid was put in charge of reopening the Iraqi stock exchange. He said, why me, I don’t have any experience in finance? But he was selected because he was a good republican… this appointment and many others, one can see that Iraq was a failure from the beginning. It reminds me of my favorite word, “Hubris” Hubris destroys, not only oneself, but all those around him and those he touch.

Bechtel Corporation is pulling out of Iraq, 59 of their workers have been killed, and they pocketed 20 billion dollars, doing nothing. Yeah, free enterprise… or should we say Yeah, corruption and incompetence. And of course, we have Halliburton no bid contracts. We was robbed…. We was robbed by corporate America. Our sole purpose in Iraq was easy money for corporate Americans.

And nobody said anything? Our wasted tax dollars could have provided health care for 40 million American kids…. And Bush talks about killing boys and girls if he allowed stem cell research.

The rot in Washington was so horrendous; I actually thought it would go on forever. Will it? Don’t know. Will now the democrats do the same thing; betray the covenant government has with its people. I in a few years I will not condemn myself for voting straight democratic this year. Suckered again to for e but only to be deceived again… I did vote for Clinton, twice, and I believe he did a hell of job. Ironically, he was lambasted by the republican talk show hosts for defending common decency in Kosovo. Every day for as long as we were in Kosovo, talk show host Regan, lambasted Clinton for attempting to prevent genocide. When Serbia gave in, I listened to him that night, he completely avoided the topic. What a jerk.


I do hope that there are investigations into corruption and fraud. Should bush be impeached? I must admit one side of me says, let bygones be bygones but, I must insist that that will happen. If not, we will just have another president do the same thing sometime later, in an attempt to gain power.

We cannot give the president a by, for allowing torture, in which he defines what it is to include. WE cannot allow another president to nullify the magna carta, an 8 hundred-year-old document, and the basis of basic human rights in a democracy. Either we treat the prisoners as POW’s and treat them accordingly, or as criminals, than we must give them their rights for due process. It’s really quite simple. All it takes is a commitment to want to apply logic and rationality to decision making… not to choose to be logical or rational only when it suites their ideals.

WE need to disengage in Iraq, we accomplished our mission, Saddam is gone, they have a democracy, and now it’s up to them to decide what kind of government they want. I have always insisted that peace could come tomorrow if the Shia can convince the Sunnis and Kurds that they will share equally in the oil, and they will not shove their brand of religion down their throats. It’s really a very simple solution, but we can’t do it for them. And as long as we are there with our troops, there is little incentives to the Shia to do this since they can rely on our militariy to bale them out of a tight spot.

I still vividly remember when Nixon was elected he promised peace with honor, yet he continued the war for four more years. Half of our soldiers were killed under his rule. How tragic, the Vietnam wall would only be half the size, it is now.

Actually, in 1966, it was apparent in congress that Vietnam was a lost cause, but our leaders failed us. They all knew this but hubris clouded their logic and rationality… that’s why I say; one has to dispose himself and insist to himself to commit to thinking this way. Alas, they were all weak cowards, too interested in personal power, glory, and riches, to the expense of our soldiers who were betrayed. Not only, their lives were destroyed and wasted but also the lives of their families likewise were forever shattered.

But I guess one can say that the good news is that this war will soon be over. I hope…. And in that since, it’s better than Vietnam. Maybe we at least we learned something. Too late but it could always be worse. So, from that perspective, I’m content. At least for now.

And don’t worry about the war on terror. The best way to fight it is through communications with all governments that a world cannot survive or will tolerate this. WE should talk to everyone, Iran, Korea, Kim wanted to negotiate with Bush, but he called them the evil empire, so they built the atomic bomb. Iran is doing likewise, it’s time for the world to band together and fight terrorism. Terrorism can only exist when governments let it happen. If Iraq stabilizes, I have no question that they can rout out the al queda presence in Iraq. It is not in their long-term interest to do so.

Negotiations settled the Libya problem… not as the neocons want to imply, that it was the tough stance that Bush took on Libya, Libya has been negotiating with Europe and Clinton for five years before bush came into office. To think otherwise is again, an example of not thinking logically and rational. Libya, decided to settle because they wanted to enter the world. I’m convinced that this can come about with Iran and Korea. Sadly, bush set the process back six years… what a tragic loss.

Mark Dahl. 11.15.6