Spiritual Enlightenment Double Take

If you can start the day without caffeine, if you can get along without pep pills, if you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains...

If you can get excited and cheerful when seeing your loved ones after a small absence, as if it were the very first time you set eyes upon them in ages...

If your love for man does not erode with habit and time but always remain steadfastly the same, no matter how little or bad attention you are getting...

If you can accept verbal and physical abuse without automatic resentment, desire for revenge, and the need to show your inborn physical power and ability to inflict harm...

If you do not need to be proven "right" and others "wrong."
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles...

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it...

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time...

If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong...

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him...

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you cannot stand fear-thoughts addressed at you by others, and only relate to love...

If you only read the intention and heart of man and not his external appearance,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit, always expressing your true feelings,

If you can always jump and get excited at the fragrance, beauty and eternal energy bestowed by the natural world...

If you would even forgo your life away without a moment of doubt in the name of Love...

If you realize that you are here to protect and guard the integrity and security of all your extended family...

If you accept death and dying as a natural cycle of Eternity,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics...

Then my dear friends you will have approached the level of spiritual development of your dog.

(thanks Brooke for forwarding that)

Proposition 8 - The False Security of the Status Quo

It always seemed to me that the people most freaked out about homosexuals felt vulnerable about their own lifestyle in some way. As if gay people as a whole affected other peoples lives in a negative way. Perhaps a gay lifestyle calls into question the readily accepted values of the status quo? I've always wondered why the status quo if they are so sure about what it is that they are about then why are they so alarmed about people living outside of their box?

Paul Newman said once and I think it was pretty astute that when people see someone who is truly free it freaks the heck out of them. Maybe Newman was quoting Ken Kesey but it's still an interesting thought worthy of more contemplation and I would not be too dismissive.

In the long run most people realize and accept that it's not a one size fits all world. In fact it's a world of infinite variety and variation. Any amount of independent observation will show you that, and even people come in all manner of shapes sizes and colors. If you see someone doing something different than you it is not a repudiation of your choices because you arrived at your own choices through your own set of circumstances and surroundings.

To the extent that people feel threatened by other cultures, beliefs and lifestyles most likely coincides with how readily they accepted or failed to ponder their "accepted" modes of behavior.

At the end of the day gay people don't hurt anybody. What's the big deal a couple of lesbians holding hands - so what - if you look past the surface you have two people that are there for each other. In a world full of lonely, frustrated, isolated and depressed people most who rely on drugs (prescribed or other wise) and alcohol, that's a good thing. Why would anyone object to someone else's happiness?

Live and let live...do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

If you are not living your life by those two codes - no matter how you dress, or where you worship, or how you vote, or what flag you salute - you are the one doing the wrong thing.

No Change McCain

In a last ditch effort John McCain's latest strategy is to whitewash his horrible deceitful image with chummy appearances on Saturday Night Live. Go sell your snake oil elsewhere you are a fraud. McCain has taken a huge amount of money from the oil industry. If elected the future will again be put on hold for another four years. With his recurring bouts with melanoma and the stress of the job, his Machiavellian pick for VP would run roughshod over him. I am repulsed beyond belief by John McCain's tactics, choice for VP and whole sale sell out to the very people who accused him of having a baby out of wedlock. Lets not even talk about his ice queen wife as first lady. I have zero respect for that gang and this noun & verb and I was a POW candidate. I have zero respect for the complete sellout he is and zero hope that he would have the vision or political will power to unleash the green economy, and the jobs that would bring. A vote for McCain is a vote for more tax dollars going to Exxon/Mobil don't worry the price of gasoline will go up right after the election is over.

A vote for McCain leaves the Petro-dictators in charge and that isn't good for you or me or the rest of the middle class, America and the World.

The Real McCain Videos
McCain & Oil