Of course it's not 100% true, but it ain't far off. Under whose stewardship did the world's financial system and economies get fucked up? And Iraq and all the associated costs in 'blood and treasure'? And the years of neglecting Afghanistan? Katrina recovery? I'm surely forgetting alot.
(Thanks to some Facebook friends for circulating this great poster)
Amazing! That pretty much sums up this breaking story about two terrorism suspects arrested this morning at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport at the request of American authorities. Although you may think the story could have been dreamt up in the writers' lounge for "24" it actually sounds more suited to the writers' suite of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show."
Let me just get this straight. One of these fellows was stopped and searched in Birmingham, Alabama before boarding a flight to Chicago. TSA authorities diligently discovered $7,000 in cash and all these fake bomb 'toys' in his luggage.
Once in Chicago, one of the two parted company with his luggage. Unimpeded he boarded a flight
Thanks to a huge snowstorm, Washington, D.C. has come to a total standstill. Is Mother Nature providing us with a metaphor that we need to listen to?
On Saturday's New York Times website I saw these two introductions to two opinion pieces:
Regardless of what one thinks of the New York Times or its regular columnists - you don't even have to read these columns, I haven't - one can't deny the truth of the overall points that Collins and Herbert are apparently making.
Time is indeed perhaps running out on the economy – short, intermediate and long term – and the legislative branch of government, with the Senate deliriously far in the lead, has become totally dysfunctional. And it is not functioning primarily due to the dysfunctional behavior of its members. That our representatives and senators can behave the way they do - while the country is in the throes of many serious crises, all with long term implications - is absolutely reprehensible. It’s outrageous. It’s hard to believe that our elected congresspeople have slid so far. But they have.
National crisis and a dysfunctional Congress. Not a pretty combination. But worse than that, yes, there is something worse than that.
Each of us know or at least I hope feel somewhere deep down inside, that when it comes to overcoming the immense challenges that collectively face us all, "what got us here, ain't gonna get us there." In fact, "what got us here" has created the threats and challenges we find ourselves now facing.
As much as I love Wille Nelson's rendition of 'On The Road Again', I love even more being on the road again myself. During my 4 week absence you can follow my travels to Cambodia and Laos at Leonard's Trail.
Be well in the meanwhile and happy trails wherever your road leads you.
(Note: if you'd like some appropriate background music click here.)
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, heralds the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe. These ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are a time of intense introspection as we contemplate our deeds in the year passed and according to tradition prepare ourselves for God's judgment.
Jewish tradition says that on Yom Kippur, God irrevocably seals our fate for the coming year in the Book of Life. As is recited in one of Rosh Hashanah's important prayers the Unetanah Tokef, "On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed."
It is in these 10 days of awe that we have the chance to intervene in the fate that God provisionally has in mind for us: "On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed." On Rosh Hashanah one could easily descend into total panic. "Oh my, look at this list of all the things I have done: the times I hurt someone's feeling, gossiped, lied, cheated, cut corners with my own morality, let others down, didn't do as much as I could have to help someone, didn't give as much as I should have to the poor and needy, didn't care as much as I should have about someone's welfare... And now only ten days to change my fate! How?!! How??!! How??!!!!"
A short thought as I watch the moving, touching, sad and funny memorial for Ted Kennedy.
"To whom much is given, much is expected." That ideal inspired Ted Kennedy's life and deeds. It was perhaps the very fundament of his belief and values system. It was certainly the well-spring of his political success. I too should try harder to live by that credo. Not because I have so much, but because so many have so little.
Thank you Teddy for this lesson also.
The Kennedy family has put up a beautiful website about the Senator's life and about the events and arrangements leading up to his burial in Arlington National Cemetery. There are also tributes and a place where people can add their own thoughts or stories. I just shared this on that website and I would like to share it here:
In 1960 I was five years old but it wasn't too many years later, around the time I was 11 or 12, a year or so before becoming Bar Mitzvah, that I was already becoming quite politically aware and even involved.
And I grew up in Massachusetts in a Democratic family.
My political, social and perhaps even moral development was impacted and influenced by the Kennedys. And that is the kind of impact and influence that Senator Kennedy has exercised over his 47 year career in public life. That is for me his legacy and message.
By what he has done, by what he has fought for and by how he has fought those fights Senator Kennedy has helped us learn about fairness, justice and human dignity. And even after his most vulnerable and dark moment of human failings, Chappaquiddick, we have seen how he dedicated most of the rest of his life to repairing the negative karma he knew was his.
That's a sign of the most humble sort of greatness we can strive for as human beings. That's what Senator Kennedy's life, and his sickness and how he marched towards death, will mean to me. He was a great man and his absence would have been felt at any time. He will be even more sorely missed today, in a time when there are so few men like him in positions of leadership.
An Irish blessing:
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
"I'm Starting With The
Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message
Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change"
