GO PHILLIES

Not a huge Phillies fan, but I wish them the best today! GO PHILLIES...............Philadelphia needs some excitement and something to cheer about!

Finally

Just added another item to my 21st century technological port folio, a HDTV. FINALLY! I have been putting it off, always saying, "Maybe in January." (Don't ask me what's so important about January except it's closer to Super Bowl time). I love my new TV and I cannot believe I have been without it. The high definition channels are phenomenal, so vivid and clear. It really is "like you're there." The colors are so bright and the 3-D effect is fantastic. Like going from dial up to Broadband on my computer, I will never go back to regular TV again....even if I wanted to.

San Diego Mayor Has A Change Of Heart On Gay Marriage

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders displayed a surprising change of heart on Wednesday when he signed a City Council resolution supporting a challenge to California's gay marriage ban. Sanders previously had gone on record saying he would veto the resolution. Sanders, who has a lesbian daughter and several gay staff members said, "In the end, I could not look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationships—their very lives—were any less meaningful than the marriage that I share with my wife Rana." Watch his news conference here.

Republicans Still Divide

Of all the important things a presidential candidate could campaign on for the 2008 election, it looks like at least one Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, is still choosing to put opposition to gay marriage as one of his top priorities. Yesterday, Romney announced he will launch a radio ad citing his oppostion to gay marriage. Romney, who has come under criticism from conservatives for his past support of some gay rights issues, says he is the only major GOP candidate backing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and he is demonstrating his position by running a 60 second spot in which Romney says, "Not all Republican candidates agree, but defending marriage is the right thing to do." Why this issue you might ask? Romney's new ad is targeted directly at evangelical Christians who are crucial to Republican politics in Iowa. So, another pandering to the conservative, crazy, right-winged Christians! I thought the Republicans learned in the mid-term elections in 2006 that the American public is tired of the divisiveness. Hopefully I am not wrong. Hopefully voters will see through this smoke screen of an issue! Hopefully the Log Cabin Republicans will condemn such nonsense!

The Evolution of Society

A few weeks ago my good friend, Medbh wrote the following words to me when I was contemplating participating in an event that could, and hopefully would, advance gay marriage in NJ:


"In twenty or thirty, or a hundred years from now, after our society has evolved, and legislation has been passed to ensure Everyone's rights ( much like the Emanicpation Proclamation and the women's right to vote), your name will be on papers that showed your nieces, grandkids, seventh cousins, etc., that you worked to pass that legislation."


What caught my eye, and my mind's eye in particular, were the words, "after our society has evolved". WOW!! It really hit me and made me think. I have never looked at the advancement of society as being an evolutionary process. Sure, like many, when I think of evolution, I think of whether or not humans came from apes, but I have never really thought of evolution as something that has created our society. YES! Society has evolved over the thousands of years of the existence of mankind. And society will continue to evolve long after I'm gone from this earth. So I began doing some research into this concept of societal evolution. I'm sure it's not a new concept, but for me it was.


I came across writings by Roy Posner entitled, The Four Stages of Society's Evolution, among many other articles and dissertations on the evolution of society. Posner states, "We will then begin our discussion of the keys to society's growth and success by discussing the stages that society has passed through on its way to its current social condition. By reviewing these stages it will help us understand where we've been, where we are today, and where we may be headed..."
Posner talks of four stages of evolution: the physical stage; the vital stage; the mental stage; and finally the spiritual stage. In the physical stage, humans were focused on their survival and existence. Peoples' social awareness was limited to the tribe and the existence of the tribe. In the vital stage humans began to engage others not of their own tribe. People began to trade with others, and there was thus a vast expansion of vitality in the vital stage. In the mental stage, humans begin to value the vast amount of knowledge accumulated from the past. People begin to understand the possibilities of freedom, initiative, and self-determinism. And finally, in the spiritual stage humans we begin to emerge through the mental stage, we perceive that even the power of mind cannot be the ultimate salvation for humanity.

As we evolve and become enlightened, we move from the self to others. Humans finally begin to realize that the freedoms of others. We are a long way from reaching our evolutionary final point, and I don't think that will ever come, but we are on the way to that. We should be participating and engaging in events in our society that better our society for others matters, and that society includes not only those in our immediacy but those throughout the world.

Where Do Those Suicide Bombers Come From?

Well, according to Ahmad al Shayea, Saudi Arabia. You see, Ahmad al Shayea was a suicide bomber that survived his attack, and he is now turned against al Qaeda and other terrorists. Al Shayea, who was disfigured during the attack, claims al Qaeda tricked him into becoming a bomber by asking him to deliver a tanker truck, which they had rigged with a bomb. He is now renouncing terrorism and has returned to Saudi Arabia to try and convince other would be suicid bombers that they are being misled, as he was, in carrying out such attacks. al Shayea was asked by al Qaeda to deliver a truck loaded with explosives, expecting to get away before the explosion. However, the truck was set to go off before he escaped. Now al Shayea says, "I think God took me out of death to show others what can happen....If you join al Qaeda, they will use you, and maybe you will die."

I find it most fascinating that according to Iraqi officials, more Saudis than any other nationality have responded to al Qaeda's call. But the US is fighting al Qaeda in Iraq so we won't have to fight them here!! Right?! But the Saudis, our allies and "friends" supply a good number of the terrorists to begin with. The Saudi government is trying to stop this recruitment. Saudi officials say they are escalating their fight against homegrown al Qaeda militants.

The Saudi government should be applauded for trying to stop those that would be suicide bombers, but are the real enemies of the US really in Iraq?

More Propaganda

Anyone else see the commercial yet from FreedomsWatch.org? The one in which an injured soldier voices his opinion that Congress was right in continuing the war in Iraq and that we have to win because, "they attacked us..."? I find the commercial quite disturbing because it again tries to equate the "attack", the 9-11 attack I assume, as will most viewers, with the war in Iraq.

I have written to FreedomsWatch.org to let them know how inappropriate that commercial is and that I for one find it offensive. Please do the same! Enough men and women, American and Iraqi, have died because of the distorted truth!

An Honor To A Dead Soldier........And All The Troops

Country singer Tim McGraw has a new song out that brings a tear to my eye everytime I hear the song: If You're Reading This. Give the song a listen.

Despite what I think of the war, that it was based on lies and political gain only, I do support the troops. I support the men and women who have dedicated their lives to the service of our country, and answered the call despite the rationale behind the war. I am grateful to have men and women like that protecting our country. Mistakes are made by the soldiers, but they give it their best.......and in some cases, their all.