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Let's Pledge Common Sense
I for one am glad that the Pledge of Allegiance has been thrown into the ash heap by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If I wanted to join a secret society replete with oaths, clubby handshakes and ceremony, I'd seek out the Shriners, Elks or some other club. I am an American. That means I cherish the ability to chart my own course.
Truth be told, we are not "one nation under God," even though there is a strong subculture that wishes it were so. I recall once being scorned by then judge William Sullivan, now Chief Justice Sullivan of the Connecticut Supreme Court. In an off-the-record sigh provoked by the obduracy of an adversary, I muttered "Jesus Christ." The judge glared. "Don't take the name of the Lord in vain in my court," he hissed with the charm of Torquemada. I reminded the judge then, as I do now, that he is not my lord, but merely an itinerant Jewish preacher of historic interest.
I have long been offended by the Pledge of Allegiance for the simple fact that I do not know what it means. I went to school to learn, and came home with my head spinning. Where is God? What does it mean to be under Him, or Her, or Whatever the case may be? And why should the state require us to recite this quasi-prayer before beginning a day devoted, we hope, to learning of what the world consists?
No sooner had the 9th Circuit ruled than the Senate leaped into action, expressing by a vote of 99-0 its disagreement with the ruling. And religious zealots from Jerry Falwell on down the descending scale of rationality are promising bedlam until the ruling is reversed.
Millions of Americans are homeless. The Senate's response? Nothing.
Corporations and accountants rape investors. The Senate's response? Nothing.
Our air is unclean, our waters clogged with pollutants. The Senate's response? Not much.
We are hated in much of the world for faults we care not to examine. The Senate's response? Nothing.
But attack a trope, and, well, the heavens disgorge themselves with cheap sentiment. Why?
Because it is easy. Talking about God has the mysterious quality of sounding like sound and fury. In fact, such speech often signifies nothing. I have never once read a book, heard a debate or faced a decision in which the figure of God played any decisive role. Fanatics kill in God's name; others defend in God's name. God, in the meantime, keeps His preferences hidden from view.
Of course, Congress will pass a law reaffirming that God belongs in the pledge. And of course, Justice Antonin Scalia will write a scathing opinion, most likely in the majority this time, about the centrality of God in our lives. And of course, millions of Americans will be relieved when this little three-letter word is once again given pride of place in our schools.
And the politics of selecting federal judges will get even goofier. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mo., has already announced that the 9th Circuit decision "highlights what the fight over federal judges is all about." Really, Senator. I guess anything sells in the Bible Belt; go ahead and pray while Rome burns. It beats fiddling.
How different are we than the mullahs whom we now seek to bomb? "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet," they say. And we are one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. Liberty and justice that is, for all those content to swim in the mainstream. I find it offensive to be required, or to have my children be required, to pay homage to invisible gods, phantoms and deities.
Stamp Out Postal Proselytizing
The "In God We Trust" poster at the Capitol Station Post Office, Madison, Wis., gets a "thumbs down" from Freethought Today editor Annie Laurie Gaylor.
Learning over the Internet that "In God We Trust" posters were ordered up in every post office in the nation in late November, I sought to confirm this rumor with the United States Postal Service. I phoned its (dreaded) national switchboard and listened to umpteen menu options before making my request to a live person.
I was on hold for at least ten minutes before the voice returned and confirmed that there was indeed an undated "internal memo" ordering the posting of "In God We Trust" in every post office lobby.
The postal employee reluctantly read me the memo, which cited a House of Representative voice vote reaffirming the national motto, and another resolution reaffirming the religious Pledge of Allegiance and religious national motto that was signed into law by Bush in November.
When I asked if the postal employee could fax me this memo, as I needed verification before reporting it, I was put on hold for another ten minutes. A woman finally came on the line to turn down this request. When I naturally enough suggested she put it in the mail, she told me (I am not making this up): "The United States Postal Service does not have the capacity to mail you anything."
She did, however, provide me with the name and local number of the PR woman at the Madison Post Office, a dyed-in-the-wool bureaucrat. Ever-helpful Pam assured me that it would be a "long wait" before I would see that memo.
Two days later, when I phoned back again explaining I was on deadline, she told me she had not attended to my request because I had not put it in writing. (She had not told me to.) She gleefully informed me she would then have seven business days to acknowledge my written request (which I duly faxed immediately).
Our representative's office sympathetically promised to try to get the memo for me in a hurry, but apparently ran into the same bureaucratic stumbling block. There is still no paper memo, and it has been a week as I write this.
Meanwhile, Lynn, my assistant editor, accompanied me on an exciting foray to our local post office, to look for the "In God We Trust" poster. We found a blow-up of an antique stamp of the Statue of Liberty, in which, fortunately, the word LIBERTY is more prominent than the religious motto. The postal decree nevertheless sets atrocious legal precedent.
As we snapped a few photos for Freethought Today, a postal employee informed us it was "illegal" to take a photograph in a post office! We took three photos anyway, sure she was "going postal," and that we really weren't playing out a scene from "1984." This charming postal employee then threatened to confiscate Lynn's digital camera. As I was leaving, she kindly advised me:
"Where your rights stop, another person's rights start."
When I told the representative about this unbelievable comment, he wryly said he hadn't realized Americans possessed "rights that stopped." (I was glad to hear it.) He obligingly looked up the federal regulations--media are specifically permitted to take photographs in public areas of post offices, I was happy to learn.
S. 2690 passed the U.S. Senate 99-0 on June 27, only one day after Michael Newdow's 9th Circuit victory against "under God" in the Pledge was released. On Oct. 8, it passed the U.S. House 401--5 (opposed only by the indomitable Barney Frank, Robert Scott, Michael Honda, Jim McDermott, and Pete Stark). Good ole George II signed it on Nov. 13, making it Public Law No. 107-293.
Death in Poetry -- Then and Now
Every student of English poetry has read the metaphysical poet John Donne's "Death Be Not Proud." Donne (1573-1631) concludes the poem with the line "Death, thou shalt die," assuming that his Christian soul will live on after death.
To freethinkers it may seem that Donne is setting up a cardboard villain (Death) that he can easily knock down. He reminds us of a boy walking through a cemetery at midnight trying to ward off his fear, trying to substitute superstition for the facts of nature.
Death Be Not Proud
by John Donne
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones and soul's delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell; And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
If a freethinking contemporary of Donne had been allowed to express his or her views, perhaps the following lines might have been published.
by Tom Schlicht
John hopes his ogre Death to overthrow (As if death were a phantom not hard fact). The carcass and the corpse remain intact Not long. Then longing home to earth they go. The decomposing crow grows shoots in spring. Do nature's cycles need a creed to drive Them? John's own coil of clay will not survive As saint but as snake or other earthsprung thing. Nor do the dead across the Styx embark To Hades or Hereafter. Within his mind He stalks a man of straw but fails to find His Mother as he whistles in the dark. Can he not see that life and death are one? With his conceits I hope to see John done.
"Not This Time!"
Roger Cleveland and I were recently in the right place at the right time, the meeting of the Talladega County Commission. The USS Talladega Reunion Committee was asking the commission for $3,000 toward sidewalk construction for the USS Talladega Memorial that was to be erected on the Courthouse Square.
The USS Talladega was an attack transport ship that served during WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, receiving seven battle stars. The ship was named for our county, and a reunion for all former crewmembers was to be held in September.
Although Roger and I had rather honor peace than war, our attention was captured by the proposed placement of the words, "Before you leave this place please pray for peace," on the reverse of the monument.
Both Roger and I contacted our county commissioners and the probate judge who happened to be on the Reunion Committee. We wrote letters and made phone calls to the aforementioned persons and requested a place on the agenda of the next commission meeting. We both voiced our opposition to any taxpayer money being spent to help fund the placement of a monument bearing a religious edict on government property. Roger assured the commission that it would cost Talladega County a lot more than $3,000 if the planned proposal were implemented.
As you can see, the reverse of the monument is a tabula rasa. It is a secular tribute to a secular cause. Government was kept free from religious encroachment. As Roger said, "Not this time!"
The Comfort Freethought Cenotaph Dedication
Greg Krauter (left) stands by the lovely freethought cenotaph honoring "The Founding Freethinkers," which was dedicated on Nov. 2 in front of his historic store in Comfort. Photo by Catherine Fahringer.
It was a chilly and rainy day but still over 100 people turned out for the Nov. 2 unveiling of the new German Freethinker Settlers monument in Comfort, Texas.
Although a five-year controversy preceded the dedication, the event went smoothly.
Originally, an impressively large, 32-ton limestone freethought monument had been placed in Comfort Park in 1998, with approval of the Chamber of Commerce and the proper authorities. The monument was later "kidnapped" in late 1999, following an outcry by some townspeople because part of the funding for the project had come from "atheists."
All present were pleased by the new eight-foot tall limestone monument, constructed by Karl H. Kuhn of Boerne, which was placed in front of the Ingenhuett Store on High Street in Comfort.
The ceremony brought together atheists and freethinkers, who sponsored and paid for the monument, and others who respect freedom and history.
There were attendees from local "Hill County," Kerrville, Austin, San Antonio, Abilene, Houston, and the Dallas area.
The German Freethinkers were a fiercely independent group of intellectuals who settled the Hill Country beginning in the 1840's. Their settlements were called the "Latin Colonies." They supported many progressive causes including abolition, women's suffrage, and secular schools. Most were decidedly unreligious.
Don Lawrence, president of Freethinkers Association of Central Texas during much of the time of the Comfort "Rock" controversy, introduced the speakers, most of whom were descendants of the Founding Freethinkers of the area. Don has been the master of ceremonies for several of the "atheist invasions" that have taken place in Comfort.
Two representatives of local government spoke first. Eddie John Vogt, soon to become Kendall County Judge, and descendant of original area settlers, was followed by Rusty Busby, president of the Chamber of Commerce, which had approved the original cenotaph. Mr. Busby is a newly-elected Kendall County Commissioner. Irene Meyer Scharf, a candidate for the Texas Board of Education, and Bebe Fenstermaker added an intimate note to the speeches with poetry and histories of stalwart women freethinker settlers. Ms. Fenstermaker's grandmother was instrumental in securing the vote for women.
The crowd was awed by the golden eagle put on display by the next speaker, John A. Karger, a descendant of original area settlers and Executive Director of a bird-of-prey conservancy. The eagle was seen as an appropriate symbol of the independence of mind of the freethought settlers.
At last, the cenotaph was unveiled by Ed Scharf, author of the booklet "Frontier Freethinkers in the Texas Hill Country." Ed, currently a candidate for Congress, instigated the original Freethinker Cenotaph project after attending the re-dedication of the Treue der Union monument several years ago. That monument recognizes those men who were massacred in the Battle of the Nueces. Ed realized that a monument was needed to keep the story of all the freethinking settlers alive. Many in current-day Comfort were unaware of the amazing story of the Founding Freethinkers, and how some were slaughtered for opposing slavery and the Confederacy.
Greg Krauter, the descendant of six of the original freethinker founders, made the closing remarks. Greg owns and operates the Ingenhuett Store where the cenotaph was placed, a landmark that has been in his family and in continuous operation since frontier times.
The lunch at the Armadillo on the Creek afterward, attended by more than 70, was one of good cheer and celebration.
An Atheist Eagle Scout Speaks Out
This started when, sort of spur-of-the-moment, I stood up and said, "Nope, you're wrong." [laughter]
Really, I ticked off one guy twice in the same weekend and that's what started it off. I embarrassed him horribly and wouldn't shake his hand and told him he didn't deserve the respect of a handshake. So that's pretty much what started it and from there on, it just blew up.
His name is Glenn Schmidt, he's our district committee chairman, and he came out with the comments about how an atheist who found a wallet would just steal the money. He said that for an atheist to be in the Boy Scouts, they'd have to go around the rules and essentially lie, and that an atheist cannot be a good citizen.
That's when I stood up and said, "I never lied. My Eagle board knew I did not believe in God when they passed me and they commended me on my courage and bravery to say so, and they never asked me a question about it. If anybody wants to tell me that I'm not a good citizen, they can kiss my butt." Although I was thinking the other word, my sister assured me that's what I said. And then I walked out of the room and told him I wouldn't be part of that discrimination.
Main thing with me is, I didn't mind so much if they were against me, it's that I have other Scouts in my troop who deserve Eagle. It is ludicrous that someone can ask them if they believe in God, and that they would not pass their Eagle board because they don't. They deserve their Eagle far more than a lot of boys I've seen get it. So I'll stand up to that any time.
I've always been against discrimination of any sort. There's no point in it, really, to take one character aspect of a person and then base an entire opinion on that. It's ridiculous. A district executive told me that scouting would be less without me, "but it was the right thing to do." Now tell me, how is that the right thing to do? It's not a better society in any way.
I didn't really prepare much to say, so if any of you have any questions, I'd love to answer them.
Q: What's your feedback from the community, positive and negative?
Almost 100% positive. My troop supports me 100%. They may not agree with my opinions but they support me. The community, I've never got any threats or anything like that. I get about 30 letters of support to one letter of non-support, so it's been encouraging, really encouraging.
Q: Do the Scouts have any free use of public facilities?
Yeah. There's a Boy Scout building in a public park in my county. I actually meet at the Veterans Home, which is on federal government property. So there's a chaplain right there. Sea Scouts a couple of years ago got whaling boats for a dollar, and, you know, I always thought they were a little bit more expensive than that, but I guess the government didn't care.
So yeah, they get tons of government support. So I don't see how they're getting past their federal charter on that one.
Q: Who was their sponsor for the organization?
A veterans' home chapel, but it's still a church. Unfortunately, the pastor of the church doesn't support me. He'll go with anything the Boy Scouts go for, but other than that, everybody else is for me.
Q: Why is superstitious belief so important to the Boy Scouts?
Another question is why is it so important for Boy Scouts of America to be religious when it is not important all over the world? I can't tell you. My group never supported religion. You learn religion at home with your family or the religious institution of your choice. You come to me, you learn how to camp, hike, bike, climb, wilderness survival. That's what I always teach. I don't teach religion.
Q: What about Girl Scouts?
They changed their policy and they're still as much of an organization as they were before. They didn't fall apart like Boy Scouts think they're going to.
Q: Do the Boy Scouts require that Scouts be "reverent"?
As it's defined now in the Scout handbook, yes. You get a handbook from 1938, no, it's a reverence toward your fellow Scouts, reverence toward your schoolwork, and it's used in the dictionary definition of the word, not the "You have to believe in God, you have to follow your religion." Oddly enough "respect others' opinions" is the other part of that requirement!
The current manual says "faith for God" or "belief in god," "practicing religious duties" and "respect for others' opinions."
Q: What about Explorer Scouts?
That's a tough one, because Explorer Boy Scouts don't necessarily have to believe in god, they don't have any discrimination. So they kind of bypass the whole government thing. Like my Explorer Search and Rescue Unit, we get funding from Department of Emergency Management. But I still don't agree with public funding of Explorer Scouts if they're going to be any part of Boy Scouts.
Q: How did you become an atheist?
I always had the question in my mind. It's just, religion doesn't make any sense. How can anybody do some legitimate research and learn and still believe? That's basically it, it doesn't make any sense, you can't scientifically prove that there is one god. People get thrown into the loonybin for believing in Santa Claus!
Q: What's your family's position?
My mom was raised Catholic, I believe, but she walked out of the Church when she was 11. Since then she believes in God, not necessarily organized religion. My dad is an atheist, which I didn't find out till after I'd come to my own conclusions. I was a little worried about that night. My dad's 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, I'm like, "Uh-oh." So, it's a very open family, they always encouraged us to find our own way, which we all did. One of my sisters is an atheist as well, the other one believes in spirituality more than an actual higher supreme being.
Q: Was your troop supportive?
I have never encouraged them not to believe in God, because it's not my place to encourage that, it's their family's. The only thing I've encouraged them to do is think for themselves. So our troop was very unreligiously oriented. I think we have two boys now who actually believe in God. The other 18, when this all came out, asked me, "What do we say if someone asks us?" I told them to say that it's none of their goddamn business.
Thank you, everybody.
Latter-Day Saint to Latter-Day Ain't
Thanks for this wonderful "Emperor Has No Garments" statue.
Dan Barker presenting Steve's statuette
During her presentation last night, Julia Sweeney talked about how meeting Mormon missionaries helped drive her to atheism. You know, Julia, it had the same effect on me.
I was a Mormon missionary and, like Julia said, we used to go door-to-door, two-by-two, bringing God's message to the unsuspecting people of Japan. As Julia said, in doing so, we announced that we were, indeed, messengers from God.
I remember one evening in Okinawa, when my missionary buddy and I were out working the neighborhoods. I was brand new at this--what they called in the business a "greenie." It was my turn to do what was known as "the door approach."
We stood at the entrance of one home and, as is the custom in Japan, I declared our presence by loudly yelling out in Japanese, "Please excuse us!"
A tiny Japanese woman slid open her front door and seeing two ugly Americans, immediately fell to her knees and bowed her face to the floor in the traditional Japanese greeting.
It was then my turn to speak. I had memorized my door approach but didn't understand a word I was saying. (Kind of like speaking in tongues without knowing what tongue.)
I told the woman in Japanese, "We are messengers from God." We looked a little strange, so---who knows?--maybe she believed us.
I then said, "We have brought a special message for you and your family." Then I asked, "Is your husband home?"
She replied, "No, he isn't."
I said, "We'll be back in this neighborhood next week and would like to drop by when he's here."
At that point, the Japanese woman started to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand and "tee-hee-heeing." The Japanese are a very polite people, so for her to start laughing in my face was highly unusual. In fact, she kept on laughing and wouldn't stop, so I just gave up and we left the porch.
Walking down the street, I turned to my missionary buddy and said, "What happened?"
He said, "Well, you told her we were messengers from God and that we were bringing a special message to her and her family. You asked if her husband was home.
"When she said 'no,' you said, 'We'll be back in this galaxy next week.' "
Steve's Emperor award, Mormon version
Mormons do indeed live on another planet. In fact, they actually believe God lives on a planet called "Kolob" with his innumerable polygamous wives--and that if Mormons do what he tells them, after they die they, too, can become gods just like him, create lots of worlds, make millions of spirit babies and be Masters of the Universe.
Which leads me to this "Emperor Has No Garments" award.
When Mary Ann and I left Mormonism, we pointed out that the Mormon emperor had no clothes.
But he still has garments. ("Garments" is the term for Mormonism's magical underwear.) I don't think that those two nice Mormon boys told Julia about this, so--what the hell--I will.
I'm sure you've seen Mormon temples out in the neighborhoods where you live--those big, tall edifices with an angel statue perched on top, costing millions of dollars, and that no one is allowed to enter, unless you're a good Mormon who has first agreed to pay the admission fee: 10% of your gross income for the rest of your life.
Devout Mormons go through a secret ceremony in their temples called the "endowment." During the endowment, they are each given a special set of underwear and told to wear it night and day for the rest of their lives, except when they take a bath, have sex or play sports.
Workers in the temple ceremony tell Mormons during their initiation that this "garment of the Holy Priesthood," as it is called, will be "a shield and a protection" to them against both physical harm and the devil.
Mormons are also told never to reveal what I'm telling you to anyone outside the temple, or they'll be in big trouble with God. That means I only have a few minutes left to educate you about this before he strikes me dead.
The fact that I am sharing these things with you would be considered highly offensive by devout Mormons and even others. But the reasons for talking about them here are well expressed by Richard Packham, a former Mormon and retired attorney:
"The rituals in the temples--especially the 'endowment'--are considered so sacred that Mormons are forbidden to discuss them outside the temple itself.
"Even non-Mormons sometimes object to articles [giving an 'overview of the nature of Mormon temples and their rituals'] since they reveal Mormons' religious secrets to a curious--and perhaps unworthy and even mocking--world.
"Many people, not only devout Mormons, feel that it is wrong to do this. Usually two reasons for the objection are given: 1) things that anyone holds sacred should not be profaned, mocked or ridiculed by anyone else, even by one who does not consider them sacred; and 2) the person who is revealing the secrets usually is someone who obtained the secrets only by swearing an oath of secrecy, and thus is breaking an oath.
"As to the first objection, it seems pointless to refuse to discuss objectively and openly any subject just because someone else feels that subject is taboo. I doubt that many Mormons would refuse to discuss the sacred initiation rituals of some primitive African tribe or some Satanist cult on the grounds that the tribe or cult considered those rites sacred.
"As to the second objection, the validity and binding nature of an oath or any promise depends, both legally and morally, upon the validity of the mutually accepted facts underlying the demanding and the giving of the oath.
"The oath of secrecy given by a Mormon in the temple is based on the assurance and sacred promise that the oath is required by God, and that the secrets one will receive are given by God. If that assurance is in fact false, then one cannot be bound either legally or morally by any such oath, since it was obtained by a lie."1
The secret Mormon temple ceremony was copied from the Masons in the 1840s by Mormonism's founder, Joseph Smith, who himself was a Freemason.
Sewn into the Mormon garment, over the right and left breasts, are the Masonic symbols of the square and compass, signifying exactness and honor in following God.
Over the right knee of the garment is sewn another mark, reminding the underwear wearer that every knee shall bow to God. There is also one sewn over the navel, indicating that God is the ultimate source of nutrition--so you'd better not put a belly button ring there.
Mary Ann and I have made a miniature set of the Mormon underwear (kind of like a paper doll cut-out) and stuck them on this little Emperor guy, if you'd like to come up afterwards and take a closer look.
When Mormons are given their new underwear, they're also given a new name that they will eventually be known by in heaven. Mary Ann's was "Deborah." Mine was "Ezekiel." (My pet macaw's name is also "Ezekiel.")
Armed with their new name and new underwear, Mormons then go through a temple ceremony in which they learn secret handshakes and passwords that they believe will be required for admission into God's presence in the Mormon heaven.
When Mary Ann and I went through our temple endowment back in 1977, the ritual included oaths of secrecy in which we all simulated taking our own lives by slitting our throats from ear to ear and being disemboweled--representing the punishments we would incur if we ever dared reveal the secret handshakes and passwords. (And you thought Mormons were just good family folk who spent all that time in their temples baking cookies to bring over to their neighbors.)
The secret Mormon handshake. Steve says that if you shake hands like this with a Mormon missionary at your door, you will scare him off forever.
Mormons take other secret oaths in the temple, including promising to give everything they have--including their lives--if demanded, to the Mormon Church.
They also promise to obey their church leaders and to never say bad things about them (in temple jargon, to not engage in "evil speaking of the Lord's anointed").
In the temple, Mormons are also secretly married to each other "for time and all eternity."
Since only worthy Mormons can enter the temple, non-Mormons are barred from attending the wedding ceremony, even if you're the parents of the bride and groom.
As a tract distributed to visitors at the recent opening of the Mormon temple in Bedford, Oregon (before it was closed to the public), explains:
"No music, no poetry, no photographs are allowed during the short wedding ceremony in the temple. (Although the bride may wear a traditional white wedding gown, she must wear the ritual temple clothing over the gown)."
The tract also mentions another little-known fact that goes on behind the walls of the Mormon temple:
"Most Mormons attending the temple rituals are doing so as proxies for the dead, in order to qualify the dead for admission to the Mormon heaven.
"Probably most of your ancestors have already been posthumously inducted into the Mormon Church. The Mormons have done this for millions of dead people (this is the primary purpose of their extensive genealogical research), including deceased presidents of the U.S., many Catholic saints, and even Adolf Hitler."2
So, there you have it.
I'd better stop now, before the Mormons slit my throat.
Thank you very much.
Newdow Pledges Allegiance to Constitution
I want to thank the Freedom From Religion Foundation. I've always been an atheist but was never part of any movement like this. It's a special honor. I'm going to mention later how Robert Tiernan and FFRF were somewhat integral and became part of this lawsuit. I'll start at the beginning, though.
I have two friends who are law professors in Chicago, Michelle and Larry. They're great people, and I like to visit them. But when you go to their house, they only have liquid soaps, and I just hate liquid soaps--you can't get clean with the stuff.
I thought as a gag I'd bring them soap, regular soap, so I bought about a hundred bars. I'm standing in line, and it turns out it comes to $36.96, which all of you will immediately realize can be paid for with a twenty, a ten, a five and a one, and a half-dollar, quarter, dime, two nickels and a penny.
As I'm standing in line, I'm looking at the twenty dollar bill, and it says "In God We Trust." What the heck is this doing here? It just had never hit me. I looked at the ten dollar bill. "In God We Trust." And the five and the one and all the change. I thought, "What is going on here? I don't trust in God. I'm an American."
By the time I get to Michelle and Larry's house I'm fuming. I said, "Did you see this? It says 'In God We Trust.' " And they said, "Well, it's been there for a while." I told them, "I'm getting it off."
Larry, who knows constitutional law, said, "I think the case has already been tried." It turns out he was correct. The Freedom From Religion Foundation had tried to challenge the phrase as the motto and on currency in 1994. It eventually went to the Tenth Circuit.
When I got home from that trip, I resolved to get "In God We Trust" off of the coins and currency. I got on the Internet, and typed in "In God We Trust."
The first thing that came up was a website from the Treasury Department, and it tells the story. In 1861, Rev. Watkinson wrote a letter to Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, saying we need God on our coins.
Chase contacts a man by the name of James Pollitt, who was a founder of the NRA, which was not the National Rifle Association back then. It was the National Reform Association, which still exists today. Their goal is to have us declared a Christian nation. They came up with the idea of putting "In God We Trust" on a two-cent piece in 1864. Since that time it's progressed and it got on all the coins.
The second thing I found on the Internet was the Gaylor case. The Foundation attorney was named Bob Tiernan.
Last year's Freethinker of the Year, attorney Robert R. Tiernan, hands Michael Newdow his "Freethinker of the Year 2002" award.
Somehow I found his phone number. I called him up and said, "Hi, my name is Mike Newdow and I'm going to get 'In God We Trust' off the currency," which was pretty arrogant, 'cause he had just lost in the Tenth Circuit.
I was down in Florida, which is the Eleventh Circuit, so I told Bob I would bring the case there, in a different circuit. Bob says, "More power to you, I give you my blessings." I told him I had one small problem I was wondering if he could help me with. He said, "Sure."
"I haven't the slightest idea how you file a lawsuit or do any of that stuff," I said. He was really amazingly generous, because he had spent a lot of time on the case, and he offered to send me his papers. I modeled my complaint on the Gaylor case.
As I thought about it, I realized that the case to get "under God" out of the pledge was stronger. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892, and for 62 years it was doing perfectly well with no religion. Then in 1954 Congress took two words, "under God," and stuck them in the middle of this pledge, where it didn't belong. That's clearly unconstitutional.
So I'm thinking, "I really wish I had taken this case instead of the 'In God We Trust' on the coins." It turns out there's a Rule Fifteen that says you can amend your complaint as long as the defendants haven't responded. The sixty days had gone by, and they asked for an extension. So I thought, "All right, I take this as a sign from 'God,' " and I amended my complaint to challenge "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. That's how I got to this case.
I was planning on enrolling my daughter in a school in Florida, but for reasons we needn't go into, she ended up out here in California. I had lost in the lower level. My case got to the court of appeals and I wrote that I was no longer in Florida, and didn't have standing anymore. They threw the case out. When you lose the case on standing it's not like losing; it's like you never brought the case.
So I got one run-through and then I got to bring it again in the Ninth Circuit. You know what happened since then. We had oral arguments on March 14, and then they came out on June 26 in my favor. [applause] Thank you.
It turns out that in Rule Fifteen there's also a section rule 15(b)3 which says if you amend your complaint you have to come up with a song. So. . . [brings out his guitar, song excerpted below]
"They had those Pledge-of-Allegiance-needs-some-old-religion blues"
Well the world was full of danger,
It got worse with every hour.
The people put the call in
to Dwight E. Eisenhower
They ran it through the Congress.
Each colleague gave a nod.
"Well damn the Constitution--
This country needs some god."
In the aftermath of the Pledge of Allegiance, I wasn't prepared for the media. I had got a computer program that arrived the day of my decision. I was really bummed because I'd planned on setting up my computer to say, "Hi, this is Mike Newdow. For compliments press 1, for questions 2, for insults 3, for media 4." I never got a chance to set it up.
The Ninth Circuit call came in that they had a decision, and they vaguely told me I'd won. Then I waited for the papers to get faxed. Before the fax comes through, the Associated Press calls. Then I started getting phone calls from the television stations. I'm thinking: this is dangerous. I'd never publicized my case in any way.
At first I refused to have a photograph taken. The television studio started calling, wanting to do an interview. I said, "Well, can you blur the face?" Really!
Then the doorbell rang, and like an idiot I answered. There's four cameras there. There goes the anonymity. (I can just let you know I've yet to see a story that doesn't have something that's significantly wrong.)
You recall the 99 Senators coming out and saying how much we need God in our country? The Ninth Circuit ruling said I couldn't name Congress in my lawsuit because they have sovereign immunity--unless they waive immunity. Well, when they came out to say how wrong this decision is, they said, "We're sending the congressional legal authority out to the Ninth Circuit to go argue this case." So now we have Congress in the case.
The chaplains came out the next day and specifically said this decision was wrong. I decided that I'd bring suit against the chaplains and try to get them taken out of our government.
I have all this fodder now because of the pledge case. Now I have standing, because they addressed me personally on this case. I also applied for a position of chaplain. It turns out it's the highest paid position in government. They work for a minute a day, they get $140,000. It's not a bad job.
It's clear that nobody who's an atheist would ever get this position. In Article VI of the Constitution it says that "no religious test shall ever be required for any office of public trust under the Constitution."
Robert C. Byrd, a Democratic senator from West Virginia, came out and called Judge Goodwin "stupid." He also said, "If his name ever comes before me in his promotion in the judiciary, he'll never get it because of this case." Pretty amazing stuff.
Then Byrd said, "I for one am not going to stand for this country being ruled by a bunch of atheists. If they don't like it, let 'em leave." Which is really good because it gave me another song, this one about Byrd, hold on. [gets guitar]
He is the man for the whole USA
As long as you're Protestant and you're not gay
"If they don't like it, let 'em leave"
Q: When does your CD come out? Thank you for asking. I actually have a CD.
Q: What's happening in your case? We don't know what's going to happen yet in the Ninth Circuit, it hasn't been finalized. If I win there, it's pretty certain it'll get appealed to the Supreme Court and I think they'd take it. If I lose, I'll ask the Supreme Court to hear it, but you have about a 1% chance of the Supreme Court ever hearing a case, so it's not particularly great odds. We'll hope anyway.
Q: What can we do to help you? Financial support is always appreciated, I'm doing this myself. I did go to law school, although I never took the bar, I never did any practice until this case came along. I like the idea that people can look and see what just one person can do in this country, how one person can change it. It's impressive. There's a website: www.restorethepledge.com and we keep names of volunteers.
Q: How has this affected you in the medical community? It hasn't affected me much. I'm a part-time attendee at UCLA in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
Q: How has this affected your daughter? My daughter's great. She wants to go swimming and play. Doesn't affect her too much at all. She's happy.
Thank you.
In Memoriam -- Charles French
Aug. 16, 1917 - Nov. 4, 2002
Charles H. French, age 85, Brooklyn Center, Minn. died peacefully at home.
He had a lifelong commitment to civil and human rights, and had been an active member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, along with his wife Dorothy, since 1982. Charles had served as a Foundation Board member from Minnesota, and regularly attended Foundation conventions.
Charlie, who had a degenerative illness, took control of the end of his life, deciding when to stop taking his live-sustaining medication.
Charlie served 15 years as a minister in the American Baptist Church, always a liberal, with special interest in civil rights and fighting racism, working with the NAACP and Freedom Riders. He joined the Minnesota Human Rights Department where he worked until he retired in 1982.
Charlie gave a speech about leaving religion at the 1985 convention in Minneapolis, which was reprinted in Freethought Today.
"I highly recommend atheism to anyone and everyone," said Charlie.
He became an active member of the Minneapolis area freethought community, and was honored by the Humanists of Minn., the Minnesota Atheists and the Freedom From Religion Foundation of Madison, WI.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, and children, Jane (Richard) Bovard, Fargo, ND; Don, San Francisco; Doris French and Alice (Richard) Fowler, Chanhassen; Nancy French, Plymouth; Robert, Minneapolis, and Pam French (Kent Carlson), Shorewood. His stepchildren are Clay (Mary Lynn) Oglesbee, Northfield; Jeff Oglesbee, Minneapolis; Brent (Holly) Oglesbee, Bowling Green, Ken.; Sondra Oglesbee, Brooklyn Center, and 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
A memorial service was held on Nov. 29 at the First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, his family prefers memorials to donor's choice. "His cheery presence, activism and practical assistance to freethought will be missed," said Foundation president Anne Gaylor. "We send our best wishes to Dorothy."
"Equal Time" Winter Solstice Sign Returns to Wisconsin Capitol
The Freedom From Religion Foundation's gilt "Winter Solstice" sign returned for the month of December to the Wisconsin State Capitol for the seventh consecutive year. It says:
At this season of
may reason prevail.
There are no gods,
no devils, no angels,
no heaven or hell.
There is only our natural world.
Religion is but
myth and superstition
that hardens hearts
and enslaves minds.
"We think it is important during December that the nonreligious views held by at least 14% of the Wisconsin population be represented at our State Capitol," commented Foundation president Anne Gaylor. The capitol so often is taken over with symbols and events reflecting only the majority Christian viewpoint, she pointed out.
"It is a fact that Christians stole Christmas," said Gaylor. "We don't mind sharing it with them, but we don't like this pretense that it originates with the birthday of Jesus. It is the 'Birthday of the Unconquered Sun--Dies Natalis Invicti Solis.' Christmas is a relic of sun worship.
"I have often said I am quite willing to celebrate the fun parts of anybody's holiday, but spare me the religious schmaltz," she added.
"The customs of this time of year endure because they are pleasant customs. Correspondence with old friends and relatives, gifts, family feasts--these are not religion-based. These are friendly things to do.
"In celebrating the Winter Solstice, we celebrate reality."
The Foundation asked the Capitol police for special attention in protecting the sign, for which the Foundation has a permit. Last year, the inserts were stolen and never recovered. The Capitol Police have surveillance videos at all exits.
The back of the sign reads: "State/Church: Keep Them Separate," and carries a little caveat, advising "Thou shalt not steal."
Three Groups Join Foundation Faith Works Fight
Three groups have filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the Freedom From Religion Foundation's appeal challenging indirect public funding of an overtly religious social services group.
The American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State filed the brief on Nov. 29, in support of the Foundation's appeal of its Faith Works case before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
Last January, the Foundation won its nationally significant challenge of more than $700,000 in direct public funding of Faith Works of Milwaukee, whose purpose is to lead "addicts to Christ."
The state did not appeal. The Foundation's case was the first challenge in the nation of so-called "charitable choice" funding to be fully adjudicated and won.
However, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb deferred a decision about indirect funding of Faith Works until June, when she ruled the state of Wisconsin could contract indirectly with Faith Works for more than $170,000 to work with men on parole or probation.
The Foundation has appealed the second part of Crabb's decision, which she based on the recent Supreme Court case approving tax-paid vouchers for use at parochial schools. Crabb said government aid to religious institutions is constitutional if it is a result of "genuine and independent private choice."
The friend of the court brief agrees with the Foundation that men in custody of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections are not free to make an independent choice, but are "strongly influenced to enroll in Faith Works."
Oral arguments will be heard early next year in Chicago.
"If the wall of separation between government and religion is not to be destroyed, it is very important that courts recognize now what is going on with this administration," said Anne Gaylor, Foundation President.
"Faith-based initiatives not only will ruin the wall of separation, but the economy as well. There will be a wholesale assault on public funds by religious groups whose raison d'etre is proselytizing."


text:
Golf: May 30, 2013
Breezy Point Women's League
Kathy McTague was the winner of the Calloway game May 23 during the Breezy Point Resort Women's League.
Janie Pommer finished second ahead of a huge group in third. Verna Miller, Polly Aumok, Doris Moede, Connie Parsley and Bugs Schmidt all tied for third. In fourth place were Judi Moravek, Darlene Palmer, Sandy O'Day, Patty Carlyle, Kathy Seczko, Judy Thomas, Sue Marsolais and Joi Brandt.
Match play leagues forming
Two match play leagues are forming over the next couple weeks at Emily Greens.
For those who are still working or who like evening golf, 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays the Sunsetters League plays.
For those who are retired or enjoy morning golf, 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays is another league time.
Both leagues play the Back 9 at Emily Greens featuring head-to-head match play using handicaps. Participants do not have to be "good" golfers to participate and participants can sign up with a buddy as a team.
Handicaps level the playing field as participants play each match. It is all about having fun on the golf course at Emily Greens. Call Tony or Gregg at 218-763-2169 to sign up or for more information.
Emily Greens
New members are always welcome. Call Tony or Gregg for more information or just show up and play.
Tuesday Morning Men's League
Men's league was rained out Tuesday, May 21.
Wednesday Night Women's League
Play of the day was low total putts. Winners were Becky Guida, Jan Anderson, Mary Patterson, Jane McKinley, Charly Richters and Jan Jurek. Jurek had a chip-in on hole 5.
Thursday Morning Women's League
Play of the day was longest putt on hole 5. Winners were Eileen Jensen, Jane McKinley, Renee Adam, Mikie Walker and Charly Richters.
Nancy Kruse had a birdie on hole 4. Renee Adam had a chip-in on hole 9 and Mikie Walker on hole 7.
Crosswoods Men's League
Play of the day Thursday, May 23, was team low net. First-place team on the front nine was Jerry Martin, Ed Kellogg, Steve Laak and blind draw. First-place team on the back nine was Jerry Bourassa, Ken Rossburg, Don Rother and Bill Dehnert.
Second on the front nine was the team of Dan Davis, Terry Nygaard, Dave Oleson and Steve Tufte. Second on the back nine was the team of Ken Olsen, John Antos, Dale Erickson and Jim Ritter.
Martin was player of the day with a low round net score of 66. Oleson had the individual low net on the front nine and Dehnert on the back nine.
Larry Koenig was closest to the pin on hole 6 and Jerry Portner on hole 11. Jim Mateyka had the longest putt on hole 9 and Dale Stevens on hole 18. Charlie Peterson had a chip-in for birdie on hole 6.
Cragun's Men's League
Reichert Bus steam rolled DPA/DK Insurance 33.5-10.5 May 23 to secure the lead in the men's league standings at Cragun's Legacy Courses. American National dropped to second after falling to Von Hanson's 23.5-20.5 and Halverson Law went to third with a 23.5-20.5 win over D&D Exteriors.
Team results from May 23: Halverson Law 23.5, D&D Exteriors 20.5; Mulligan's 25.5, Thelen Heating 18.5; Von Hanson's 23.5, American National 20.5; Mid-Minnesota FCU 27.5, Deerwood Bank 16.5; Reichert Bus 33.5, DPA/DK Insurance 10.5; Shep's on 6th 25, Edward Jones 19; 925.Silver 22, People's Security 22; US Bank 24.5, First Security 19.5.
Team standings: Reichert Bus, 109.25; American National, 108.25; Halverson Law, 105.25; 925.Silver, 102.75; Shep's on 6th, 102.25; US Bank, 91.75; Von Hanson's, 91.50; D&D Exteriors, 89.75; People's Security, 85; Mid-Minnesota FCU, 81.75; Mulligan's, 80.25; Edward Jones, 77.50; Deerwood Bank, 75.75; DPA/DK Insurance, 70.75; First Security, 66.75; Thelen Heating, 65.6.
Individual results: closest to pins, Kurt Muesing, Drew Dufner and Todd Ringler; longest putt, Jason Sourdiff; low net, Tom Norman 28, Mike Moran 29, Jim Mullen 30; low gross, Steve Stoxen -3, Tim Trott even par; side game gross, Mike Mundis 36, Mike Sands 36; side game net, Jeff Hillborn 36, Mike Quinn 37.
Chuck Rodgers, Baxter, aced the 100-yard 8th hole of the Dutch Legacy at Cragun's Legacy Courses May 26 using a 9-iron.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi all,
Total newby, not sure what I'm seeing in my observational hive. The hive contains cut out comb from a friend's roof, which now has full brood on four medium frames (2 X 2) with a laying queen, and honey is slowly being built into 4 small frames above.
Daily, dead pupae and adult bees are cleaned out, but it seems that the carcasses are paraded dozens of times throughout the hive before finally being dragged out the port. Other bees will rip at the dead pieces as it is pulled up and down the brood chamber. Does this mean the housekeeping bees don't know where the exit is, or maybe because the room light is on? I've looked for mites on the bodies and under the screen without luck.
What is the best way to check for mites in an observational hive? I'm not looking forward to breaking it down yet...


text:
Grilled Deli Sandwiches RecipeRead Reviews Be the first to add a review
5 1 1
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 cup julienned green pepper
- 1 cup julienned sweet red pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 12 slices sourdough bread
- 1/2 pound each thinly sliced deli ham, smoked turkey and pastrami
- 6 Jones Dairy Farm Dry-Aged Bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
- 6 slices process American cheese
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- In a large skillet, saute the onion, mushrooms and peppers in oil until tender. Layer six bread slices with ham, turkey, pastrami, bacon, vegetables and cheese; top with remaining bread. Wrap each sandwich in foil.
- Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.
Originally published as Grilled Deli Sandwiches in Taste of Home Annual Recipes Annual 2003, p39
Reviews for Grilled Deli Sandwiches
Please Log In or Join to add a rating and review.
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2012
"This sandwich was mighty good and we savored every single bite. We used Ciabatta bread, which worked perfectly, there was no need to pre-toast them. I did make a dressing for the bread and would highly suggest you add your favorite dressing. I mixed equal mayo and Dijon mustard and a bit of horseradish together and slapped a bit on each bun, the flavor was fantastic and really added to the sandwich. The grilling suggestion time is perfect, the meat just warmed enough to still have that fresh deli taste and cheese melted perfectly. I do have to admit that I totally forgot about the bacon and they were still fantastic. I actually found these to be pretty simple to make, only had one pan, cutting board and knife to wash"


text:
Discussion in '2010 PHOTO CONTEST' started by rico, Nov 15, 2010.
here is more info. on this build ,
Beautiful! Where can I see more of this bike?
Good question... Someone did a fantastic job on it from the looks...
Thank's Guy's :wink:
I love that bike
you've got 2 bikes in the contest, you need to pick which one you want to enter.
i want to see more pics of this one
my fav color
Haven't seen enough of this one yet Mike!
Separate names with a comma.


text: Home > Experts > Question Question Posted by: Elle | 2011/07/04 How to kick my addiction to sleeping tablets I have been using Dormonoct for the last 25 years. Is it possible or necessary to stop using? The tablets are not always effective and I often go without any sleep at all. Not what you were looking for? Try searching again, or ask your own question Our expert says: Sleep Expert The dormonoct at this stage is not doing you any harm, but is also not doing you any good.You will first need to establish good sleep habits. Then you can stop the tablets cold - but you will have a couple of weeks of bad sleep before it settles down. Or you can slowly wean the dose down, by slowly scraping off more and more of the tablet. Finally, you can go down to every 2nd night, then every third night, and so on, until you get off it. It would be best, however, if you saw someone who has experience in this to help you. The information provided does not constitute a diagnosis of your condition. You should consult a medical practitioner or other appropriate health care professional for a physical exmanication, diagnosis and formal advice. Health24 and the expert accept no responsibility or liability for any damage or personal harm you may suffer resulting from making use of this content. Have your say Your name (optional) Your comment Security × Thanks for commenting! Your comment will appear on the site shortly. Search health advice Find an answer × Thanks for commenting! Your comment will appear on the site shortly. Reply to Your name (optional) Your comment Security Close Submit comment Recently: Asked Questions Answered Questions Commented Questions DDX for Lymphoma My fiance and her 13 year old son What could be causing my high insulin levels? Insulen rsistantband hit blood pressure...on glucophage xr 500 x 2 a day and Past demons I cant falling pregnant Viral Onslaught Nerve pain with no answers LEG PAIN Vertigo Hi im on depo for one month now and have gained 7kg despite of the fact that im using herbex slimming products.What can I di to stop the weight gain? Parental responsibilities can adcodol addiction kill you? Not sure what to do about this situation hiv+ and blood o+ advertisement From our sponsors WIN a R2000 Skin Renewal voucher! Constipation in women SA's old diesel vehicles continue to fuel allergies


text:
Southern Students Meet with Diocese of the South Chancellor and Carolina Dean
18–20 January 2013 • On–Campus • Virginia Nieuwsma
The Very Rev. Marcus Burch, chancellor of the Diocese of the South (DOS) of the Orthodox Church in America, visited diocesan students over an eventful weekend that included the 30th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture. The DOS Carolina Dean, The Very Rev. Thomas Moore, accompanied Fr. Marcus.
Father Marcus explained that the main purpose of the visit was to meet with the students and families who are finishing their time at SVOTS in May of 2013, in order to discuss placement possibilities after Commencement. Both Fr. Marcus and Fr. Thomas also met with students in the second year who are petitioning for ordination.
On Saturday afternoon, the visiting priests also hosted all DOS students for a meal and fellowship. "This provided us an opportunity to meet with the first year students, all the spouses, and children," explained Fr. Marcus. "I feel very strongly that we need to know not only the clergyman whom we will place in the DOS," he continued, "but also his wife and children. And we should know of any unique circumstances in their lives, to help us discern how they should be placed."
Additionally, Fr. Marcus met with Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield and Seminary Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr to discuss diocesan students and their future ministries. Father Marcus outlined some of the issues that the diocesan leaders addressed: the process for placement within the diocese, the desire that all rising seniors would be able to do a summer internship in a parish between the 2nd and 3rd years, the first assignment, and implementing the DOS Seminary Debt Service Program, which services student loans for seminarians who are assigned in the DOS, throughout the duration of their assignments.
While at St. Vladimir's, the DOS Chancellor and Carolina Dean also attended the panikhida service for the newly reposed DOS priest Fr. Jacob Myers, offered Saturday afternoon in Three Hierarchs Chapel prior to the Vigil. Both at the Vigil on Saturday evening as well as at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning, Fr. Marcus and Fr. Thomas concelebrated with SVOTS clergy. "We thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with old friends and new," said Fr. Marcus.


text:
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text:
An objective ranking system is unnecessary when trying to determine an employee's value, and it can even be detrimental to collaboration on teams. Providing feedback, facilitating knowledge building, and allowing them to contribute are three key ways to help your employees excel in their roles.
"It's time for our annual management meeting to rank everyone in engineering," Don, the VP started to explain to his three directors.
"Hold on a minute," interrupted Dave, the development director. "We didn't do this last year, because we explained we can't be objective and it makes no sense. We thought we eliminated this nonsense."
"Well, Dina, the new HR VP, believes in it. We have to fit everyone in engineering to a 20%-70%-10% curve."
Dave looked as if he would have a coronary.
Jim, the QA director, asked, "Why? What does she want out of this?"
"She thinks she can do a better salary fit to the salary norms if we do this," Don said.
"What if we help her understand our job descriptions instead? Would that help her? We don't hire to her curve—we hire way above her curve. And, because we don't hire for technical skill but for cultural fit and for the ability to teach and learn, she is not going to get what she wants with her curve. You know, the problem is that she doesn't fit the culture here."
Sharon, the project and release management director piped up, "I have an idea. Dina needs to see our projects. She doesn't understand what our cross-functional teams look like—the agile and the not-yet-agile ones. Dina doesn't understand that software is a design activity and it's a team sport. She thinks we can pick one person and reward that person. I'll volunteer to show her around for a day or two and explain what she is seeing. I bet Dina has no idea what servant leadership means."
Over the next couple of days, Sharon escorted Dina around the engineering organization. Sharon explained how their projects worked: that all the teams were cross functional and that team members depended on one another. Sharon and Dina spent time in team problem solving meetings, where Dina could see how team members interacted.
After one team meeting, Dina asked for a replay of who was whom. "So, who was the first person writing at the board? That was the project manager, right?"
"No, that was the architect first," Sharon replied. "Then one of the testers took over."
"A tester? But that person was arguing with the architect. They stood toe to toe, drawing pictures."
"Yeah," Sharon laughed. "Wasn't that great? I liked it when the chess timer went off and they had to agree to try a prototype instead of discussing it anymore. That's one of that team's working agreements."
"But the tester was fighting with the architect," Dina began.
"Dina, this is why we can't stack-rank anyone," Sharon interrupted. "We work very hard to make sure everyone knows that we want them to collaborate. We, as a management team, trust them to make the right decisions for the product. The project teams have feedback built into everything they do, so they know how to trust themselves. If we do this crazy stack-rank thing, we will destroy everything we have built. We will lose everyone's trust. We will lose the transparency we've built. We will lose their expertise. All the good people will leave.
"You are asking us to do something that doesn't fit into any software development culture. Software is a collaborative design effort. If you want to maintain collaboration, you don't pit one person against the others, which is what stack-ranking does. It doesn't make sense to do this."
Dina agreed and decided she could do salary norms another way.


text:
Heard a new theory last night, of feeding to allow bees to build cone then stop so they fill that cone with honey. Could it possibly work that way?
Do they build out all the cone first and then fill? I would like to see a couple of my hives get a full super before winter (we are still in the flow here but shorter days and cold nights) and they don't seem to be building out cone fast at all. One month after putting a empty super on they've done next to nothing. But I don't want them just filling it up with sugar water either?
Thoughts on feeding to help build the cone and then no feeding so they fill up with natural honey? thank!


text:
[quote user="MattMeyerBud"][quote user="lttaylor56"][quote user="Morehead State"][quote user="JPizzack"]
[quote user="Morehead State"]Lets go easy on Hixon. He could still be a great return man for us. And we certainly need that.[/quote]

that was a pipe dream in 08....im tired of waiting for him to be healthy, let alone play a down of football in the regular season.
Like i said, unless he's making 400k this year, there's really no need to keep him around anymore.

Tore up his knee making a great play for our team. Don't you think you're being a tad harsh?

[/quote]I know what you mean mh and there is a degree of loyalty that should be paid to an injured player who came up big for the team. Problem is it's all about $ and cents and in the end, that's what decisions are based on. I'm not saying it's right, just sayin.[/quote]
theres no loyalty in this game/biz
if there is, its usually with the player to team not team to player
so do you think im being harsh, or realistic?? lol


text: Dont forget to mark your calendars for the Fall Beekeeping Conference, October 26 & 27, in Starkville, MS! The meeting will be held at the Bost Extension Center on MSU campus. Come and meet our new extension apiculturist, Dr. Jeff Harris, listen to renown speakers and learn about current topics in bee management and research.


text:
Lovely studio very close to the beaches with a big terrace
Size28 m²
Floor No.1(with elevator)
- Kitchen
- Air conditioning
- Washer/dryer
- Parking available
- Disabled access
- Balcony/terrace
- Internet/WiFi
Accommodation summary
|Avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France
|Property type
|Property ID
The apartment is in the 1rst floor with a lift.
It is a perfect location to the beaches and down town.
House rulesDeposit of 100€ that will be given back at your departure if there's no damage.
You have to birng your linen and towels.
|Weekly rate for up to 3 guests
|Monthly rate for up to 3 guests
|Check-in after
|On arrangement
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|On arrangement
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews of this property
It was very nice to Elias . The apartment is very close to everything (sea , bus stop , supermarket ... ) I really liked , I would go back another time .
Perfect floor, next to the beach, and best, with parking in the building, which gave us a lot of things.
Elijah was a great help, very nice and friendly, they gave us a lot of information so we could move through the area.
Thanks for everything, a pleasure !!!
Piso perfecto, al lado de la playa y, lo mejor, con plaza de aparcamiento en el propio edificio, lo que nos facilitó mucho las cosas.
Elías fue de gran ayuda, muy agradable y amable, que nos dio un montón de información para podernos mover por la zona.
Gracias por todo, un placer!!!
Very comfortable accomodation, thanks to rentable bikes very accessible. The host was very nice and flexible with the time managment.
Elias is a very friendly person and the apartment complies with pictures. The owner greets you on arrival and give you the best places to visit Nice. The Beach is 2 steps. Stay nickel really, no complaints. We will return next year without hesitation. Olivier N - 34500 BEZIERS
Elias est une personne vraiment très sympathique et l'appartement est conforme aux photos. Le loueur vous accueille à votre arrivée et vous donne les bonnes adresses pour visiter Nice. La Plage est à 2 pas. Séjour vraiment nickel, rien à redire. Nous reviendrons l'an prochain sans hésiter. Olivier N - 34500 BEZIERS
We enjoyed our vacation super. The owner is super nice and very knowledgeable, the accommodation was much better than we expected, small but nice. The nearest pebble beach walking less than 5 minutes. The way to the center is in front of a very entertaining as it can be run super on the promenade and what there is always something going on. We will definitely go back again.
Uns hat der Urlaub super gefallen. Der Vermieter ist super nett und sehr kompetent, die Unterkunft war viel besser, als wir es erwartet haben, klein aber fein. Zum Kiesstrand sind es zu Fuss keine 5 Minuten. Der Weg ins Zentrum kommt einem sehr kurzweilig vor, da es sich an der Promenade super laufen lässt und dort immer was los ist. Wir kommen sicher nochmals wieder.
We spent a great weekend in Nice. We were a family of three. The studio was very close to "Promenade des Anglais" and the beach and had all hat we needed. Our host were service minded and we will give our very best recommondations.
Apartment absolutely fine, underground parking was OK .Nah at sea, and Not too far from the old town. Everything was super nice. Gladly again.
Wohnung absolut in Ordnung, Tiefgarage war auch O.K .Nah an Meer, und nich zu weit vom Altstadt. Alles war super schön. Gerne wieder.
Has been a really pleasant holiday!
nice flat with everything you need, big terrace as said and 2 minutes from the sea.
The apartment is 40 minutes by feet away from the center of Nice, but there are many bus that are going there also at the evening!
Elias is really nice as a host, it helps us a lot discover the city and enjoy the maximum. The appertement was clean and pleasant. The beach is 5 minutes on foot. We pass the beautiful moments in Nice.
Elias est vraiment gentil comme hôte, il nous a beaucoup aide decouvrir la ville et profiter le maximum.
L'appertement etait propre et agreable. La plage est 5 minutes a pieds. On est passe des beaux moments a Nice.
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text: We came from poor families, with 5 kids of our own, and 8 we were God parents for, we had some very lean Christmases. Now how ever, with taking care of our money, to get the most out of every penny, we give money to our children, grand children & Great grand children. The reason is for their college funds. The parents are all doing much better at a younger age than we did, but they also learned how money served them best, and all are doing well. So we all get a present on Christmas day, any one l4 yrs or older, that wants a gift, puts a list of 3 things that they would like and their name in a hat at Thanksgiving, and gets to take one out. We are all happy with our gifts, the little kids have so many toys already, the parents have to worry what to get them. Each of our Kids, grand kids & great grand kids, has a nice nest egg saved. We also give gifts of money to several charities,


text:
After a detour into animation, Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis returns to live-action film with Flight, which starts with a plane crash but centres more on personal rather than airborne crises.
Denzel Washington stars as a pilot who becomes a national hero for crash-landing a malfunctioning jet, but faces another harrowing descent when alcohol and cocaine are discovered in his system.
The movie took more than 10 years to come together, from a screenplay by John Gatins, whose previous credits include Real Steel and Dreamer.
Washington plays Whip, a commercial airline pilot whose skills and sangfroid help him save almost all of his plane's passengers and crew after it goes into a steep dive due to a technical problem.
But the adulation his achievement triggers come down to earth with a thud when lab results reveal his addictions, while he falls in love with a young drug addict who is also battling to get clean.
"Their substance abuse is the symptom of deeper problems," Zemeckis says.
"They were that way because they have deeper issues.
"They were using the chemicals, but it could have been anything: food, gambling, work. They just feel this sort of void."
Washington agrees, saying that in preparing for the role he didn't focus on his character's alcoholism.
"I didn't really want to get too much into the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) side of it, or try to be an alcoholic, because he didn't think he was alcoholic.
"I was a guy who drank. In my mind, he's like anyone who has one drink a week. He doesn't realise how far he's gone."
Screenwriter Gatins says the movie is partly autobiographical.
"I got sober when I was 25, so when I started writing the script I was probably 30 or 31. All those themes of alcoholism and addiction were kind of like in my whole life," he said. "And I'm a nervous flyer."
From its opening scene, combining full-frontal nudity and lines of cocaine, it is clear that Flight differs from most big Hollywood studio movies.
It is reminiscent of the 1970s, "that glorious period where people made really ... tough movies to watch, that forced you to sit there, because they took their time sometimes," says Gatins.
For Zemeckis, who won best director Oscar for Forrest Gump in 1995 and whose films include the Back to the Future series, the film marks a return to live action after movies such as The Polar Express.
Apart from the virtuoso crash scene in Flight, the tone of the movie is personal and intimate, with flashes of humour. "Humour is very important. I have this approach to movie-making that movies should be entertaining," he says.
Movie preview
What: Flight starring Denzel Washington
When: Opens at cinemas tomorrow


text:
The Fur (& Feather!) Flyer
Established in 1965, HAWS assists over 6,000 animals and welcomes more than 31,000 human visitors annually. As an "open admissions" shelter we lead the community in animal welfare and assure sanctuary for all animals in need, regardless of age, health or temperament. HAWS is a non-profit, entirely donor-fund organization with an active humane education program, and both wildlife and companion animal rescue services for Waukesha County.
HAWS License #267280-DS
Pet Walk Goal: $40K for a New Ride!
HAWS reminds everyone that the 31st Annual Pet Walk is coming up this Saturday, May 3rd! The event to benefit the Waukesha shelter is from 9am - 2pm at Sussex Village Park, with a fundraising goal of $40,000 to help purchase a new Animal Rescue Van.
Along with the Walk, the day features something for everyone – pets and their people – including:
9:00 Blessing of the Animals
9:15 Award presentation: Youth Community Kindness Award
9:30 – 9:45 Doggy Olympics begins with the High Jump event
10:30 – 11:00 Treibball demonstration
11:00 – 11:15 Parade of HAWS adoptable pets
Noon – 12:30 Bobbing for hot dogs
12:30 – 1:00 Musical Dog Mats (musical chairs for dogs)
1:00 – 1:30 Doggy Olympics: Tunnel Time and Triathlon (Sit/Rollover/Stay)
HAWS staff and local animal experts will also present "Snippets" – 15 minute talks featuring important info and question/answer sessions – including:
9:30 – 9:45 Why harnesses are a good choice for your dog's comfort
9:45 – 10:00 Dog Park Etiquette
11:00 – 11:15 Featured breed, German Shepherds and the German Shepherd Dog Club
11:30 – 11:45 Animal careers – Vet Assistant, Vet Technician
11:45 – noon Upcoming Pet Blood Drives for the Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center
Noon – 12:15 Dog Bite Prevention
Pet microchips and nail trims will be available for a small donation. Shop the vendors, enjoy lunch and enter to win great prizes!
Registration forms, Walk details and online fundraising page links are available at hawspets.org. HAWS' annual Pet Walk is sponsored and presented by the Friends of HAWS; 100% of donations collected for the Walk are given directly to HAWS for animal care, programs and life-saving services.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.


text:
|Topic Review (Newest First)
New 60 Gallon Cube looking for comments
Decided after a several year break to get back into tanks so today I ordered a Deep Blue 24x24x24 Rimless which will sit on a Marineland Black Ventura stand.
Dimensions and type are based on what the wife would accept in the area i wanted to put it so this is what i ended up with. Though much smaller than previous my rigs it has Iron Free front and side glass and the sample had decent silicone work so it should be aesthetically nice if i can scape in some wood and simple plants.
Unfortunately this tank has a overflow but they don't make the 60 edge cube without so i will deal with it.
Current Plan is to plumb in a Rena XP4(or the newer model). Should this make for sufficient water movement? Have has ehiems in the past but hated them so trying something new. Looking for comments here.
Also plan to use a Finnex RayII DS 24 inch LED strip. Starting out low tech (No CO2) which I have had decent luck at previously using CF lights, but i like the compact look, and low heat, no noise theory of the LEDs so want to give it a shot. Wondering how this will perform at the 24 inch depth. Yes I have cal read the other threads, PAR charts etc....but Looking for user experince comments here.
Was planning on using a course pool filtervsand coupled maybe with some flourite for substrate. Dont have this figured out so comments are welcome.
Will throw in some form of heat, was wondering if i could hide a small heater in the overflow box?
Plants will be ferns, anubius, crypts, vals, swords, and some other easy starters, though I would like to have some open area in the front with some grass or other short stuff if i can get it off the ground.
Fish plans are for Rainbows and some for of small schooling fish.
Plan is to have this up and running in the next couple of weeks then hit the GCAS swap meet for some stock to get it rolling.
Sorry for the wordiness but any comments or suggestions based on the above would be appreciated, maybe ill take it to the journal forum once i have the tank on site and can add some pics.
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text:
AP: Was Orlando gunman sexually conflicted? And did it matter?
Was the Orlando nightclub gunman part of the local gay dating scene? Activists and academics reflect on a phenomenon that has been documented: Some men
The Wayne Besen Show Discusses the Anti-LGBT Massacre in Orlando
Wayne Besen discusses the tragedy in Orlando with callers 2-5PM (CT)
The Wayne Besen Show Interviews SPLC's Mark Potok on New Report on 'Ex-Gay Industry
An excellent new report by The Southern Poverty Law Center Discusses the 'Ex-Gay' Industry
Petition: Tell Iowa Catholic School to Present Matthew Shepard Scholarship to gay Student
Don't let an Iowa Catholic school bully a gay student and deny him the presentation of his scholarship
Big Business vs. Bigotry in North Carolina
(Weekly column) Facing a torrent of criticism for signing a discriminatory anti-LGBT bill, North Carolina's Republican Gov. Pat McCrory took baby steps away from the
Speaking Out Against 'Ex-Gay' Therapy in Iowa
Excerpts from my April 1, 2016 speech for the wonderful organization One Iowa in Des Moines. I want to thank my friend Donna Red Wing,
'Ex-Gay' Therapy Group Co-Founder's Medical License Revoked for 'Gross Negligence' and 'Unprofessional Conduct'
NARTH Co-Founder, Benjamin Kaufman, MD Retires in Disgrace After Patient Ends Up in Coma
Trump Comparisons to Early Hitler Are Legitimate
Trump is running a fascist campaign that targets opponents for violence
TWO Praises New York For Banning Conversion Therapy for Minors and Cracking Down on Insurance Providers
A major victory against the abusive practice of conversion therapy
DONATE: Promises made. Promises kept.
It is almost 2016, which marks Truth Wins Out's ten-year anniversary! For a decade we have tirelessly fought against the "ex-gay" myth and anti-gay hate


text:
Town Square
There goes the Surge
Original post made by The Cohen Brother, Old Palo Alto, on Apr 13, 2007
American and Iraqi security officials were last night investigating how a suicide bomber evaded a ring of security checks and blew himself up in the assembly's cafe, killing three MPs and five other people and wounding more than 20.
About 100,000 US and Iraqi soldiers are on the streets of the capital as part of the troop "surge" begun two months ago; while security inside the Green Zone has been tightened following the recent discovery there of two suicide bomb belts.
But after the deadliest attack ever in the Green Zone, US officials warned that nowhere is safe in Baghdad. "The international zone is not safe, it is just safer than the rest of the city," said Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Garver.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 13, 2007 at 7:43 am
We have places like that in the United States, too.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 13, 2007 at 7:53 am
Yes, Wallis. We can't prevent crime and violence in our own country and we think that we can do it in Iraq.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 13, 2007 at 8:39 am
Based on this one crazy in the green zone, who was most likely an "insider terrorist" just waiting for his chance to do something horendous like this, the U.S. should cut and run? Based on this incident, the surge is a failure? You should be more concerned with Nancy Pelosi pretending she is President of the U.S.
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Apr 13, 2007 at 8:47 am
Bravo to Pelosi for her trip to Syria. The bipartisan Iraq study group recommended opening dialog with Syria, Israel is willing to talk with Syria, so what is our "leader" in the White House waiting for??? Talking cannot hurt or is Bush (or should I say Bushs' puppetmaster Cheney) planning to stretch our military even thinner by invading both Iran and Syria.
The biggest hypocrisy of Bush, Cheney and their cronies is their attacking Pelosi and Lantos for visiting Syria, while ignoring the fact the republican congressmen where in Syria before, during and after the Pelosi visit.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 13, 2007 at 9:08 am
Bravo to Pelosi. The message to the world is that sane adults are now in charge and that the US is not a rogue nation. Kate, you have a huge misconception of our system of government. The Legislative branch is supposed to provide oversight and to prevent the president from becoming a de-facto monarch. When a president thinks of himself as a monarch, which Bush certainly does, it's obligated to intervene and take an active role in governing. When a president puts his nation in peril by refusing to engage other countries, like Iran and Syria in diplomatic talks, the legislative branch needs to intervene. This is exactly what Pelosi is doing. Our nation can't survive any more of Bush, who should have been impeached years ago and what Pelosi is doing is exactly what the founding fathers had in mind when a president gets out of control.
This is far from 'one crazy in the green zone'. This is something that will continue to happen, just like us taking heavy casualties whenever we go into sadr city.
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 13, 2007 at 9:56 am
Kate, I recommend doing some research
An informed citizenry is needed. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 13, 2007 at 10:10 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 13, 2007 at 11:19 am
I am trying to control myself in the face of people who gleefully rejoice at anything that injures the United States. There was nothing flippant about my statement.
If we can believe Howard Dean and Tom Pantos, Pelosi was in Syria to offer up an alternative foreign policy. Who knows, perhaps she was hitting them up for campaign contributions like Clinton did the Chinese.
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 13, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I wasn't aware of anyone gleefully rejoicing in the manner you suggested. You seem to alway avoid the topic at hand. Evasion and obfuscation don't promote dialogue in a positive manner. Now you attack our House Speaker for daring to use diplomacy, something the present administration apparently isn't well versed in. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 13, 2007 at 1:33 pm
since only congress can declare war and congress appropriates war fundings, it's absolutely appropriate for the congress to get involved in foreign policy when the commander in chief refuses to consider diplomatic options and insists only on military ones. this is what the framers of our constitution had in mind when they considered the danger of an american president becoming a monarch. speaker pelosi's diplomaticintiative was conducted in that spirit. her message to a very concerned world is:not everybody in the us government is insane, and now people with brains, decency and sanity are in charge. i can sleep much better now knowing that nancy pelosi is in charge and is keeping a close watch over that band of criminals and liars.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 13, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Sarlet- You obviously do not understand the specific powers enumerated in the Constitution to each of the three branches of our government. Just because you don't like the President of the United States doesn't mean that Nancy Pelosi gets to take over an area delegated to the President.
Marvin - All of those individuals that you speak of were in those countries after meeting and confering with the President. It's a completely different situation from the Pelosi trip. Pelosi met with the Syrian thug, but until recently, refused to meet with the President of the United States. Go figure. I guess she likes Syria better than the U.S.
Speaking of Israel...Pelosi couldn't even accurately relay feedback from her meeting with Israel to Syria. Doesn't say much about her "diplomacy capabilities".
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 13, 2007 at 7:02 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 13, 2007 at 7:18 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 13, 2007 at 8:01 pm
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] no laws were broken, and legistlators from both parties often fly overseas to meet with foreign leaders and dignitaries. i might add the you have a lot of audacity to attack the dems. over this issue when the president you support has not upheld the constitution, or honored geneva convention. habeus corpus ring a bell? torture? [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 14, 2007 at 7:32 am
Shades of Rudolph Hess.
Ah, yes. The Geneva Convention that says if they are not in uniform and responsible to a commander just shoot them. There is no habeas corpus for a war prisoner, they are routinely held until the end of hostilities unless they are honorable folk who will take a parole. Some of those released from Gitmo were subsequently killed or captured in active combat against US forces.
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 14, 2007 at 9:30 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 14, 2007 at 11:00 am
Given the Democrats' refusal to pull the budgetary plug on the war and Bush's commitment to soldier on in a messianic stupor, we can be fairly sure that U.S. troops, now on fifteen-month tours of duty, will not be coming home next year or the year after that. Limited and temporary "success" stories in Iraq will either actually take place or be invented, thereby allowing the current administration and its successors to continue funding the occupation for well into the next decade.
Despite the media babble about the "surge" (a term connoting force and brevity), the shift in strategy announced by Bush in January has always been a long-term proposition. General Petraeus, cast as savior by the politicians, knows this better than most. As the co-author of the new field manual on counterinsurgency (COIN, FM 3-24) published in December of last year, he wrote: "Clear-hold-build objectives require lots of resources and time. U.S. and HN [host-nation] commanders should prepare for a long-term effort."
a resident of Stanford
on Apr 14, 2007 at 1:14 pm
By the way...besides "withdraw in defeat"...come up with a plan for actually winning, as defined by leaving Iraq a stable democracy..
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Apr 14, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Kate--what about the Ohio republican congressman that was with Lantos and Pelosi and who recently came out in support of the trip (Web Link=), had he conferred with Bush before his trip?
If Pelosi met with "the Syrian thug", isn;t this the same Syrian thug that the other Republican congressman met with. The point is, i donot think that Pelosi or any other congress person, republican or democrat, need permission from Bush to travel to Syria or anywhere else.
Also casting aspersions on Pelosi's patriotism, which has become a hallmark of the Bush gang when dealing with anyone that dares question their deeds, does not work either, since she was just acting on recommendations by the bipartisn Iraq study group, which has strongly suggested opening dialog with Syria and Iran (as opposed to starting another war).
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 14, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Instead of blaming good Americans who are horrified at the catastroph this awful administration has caused our nation, maybe this administration should concentrate on finding Carl Rove's 'missing' e-mails.
a resident of Stanford
on Apr 14, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Sure, as soon as we find the missing papers that Berger "carelessly" lost, and the source of the $90,000 being given, caught on tape, that William Jefferson stored in his freezer, and the reason that Dems are so upset at the firing of 8 federal judges when Clinton fired over 120 in the course of 8 years and nobody said anything BECAUSE IT IS LEGAL..oh, what the heck, it doesn't matter anyway. Only Republicans can be hunted.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 14, 2007 at 8:51 pm
The Logan Act forbids U.S. Citizens from conducting diplomacy without approval from the government. Nancy Pelosi, a leader of the Democrat Party, ignored the President's decision that she not meet with Syrian's president. Lantos stated that the Democrat Party had an "alternative foreign policy". Unfortunately, for him and Ms. Pelosi, they do not have the authority to engage in executive branch duties per the U.S. Constitution. Whether the Republican from Ohio had permission, I do not know. If he didn't then he should be charged with violating the Logan Act also. We know one thing for sure...Nancy Pelosi did not have permission. That was made clear to everyone prior to her trip and she should without a doubt be charged with violating the Act.
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Apr 15, 2007 at 7:07 am
Go for it--charge Pelosi, Lantos with violating the Logan act--of course you will have to prove that they were conducting "diplomacy". And Bush will have to explain why only republican congresspeopke can travel to syria and meet with the leader while democrats cannot.
i look forward to the trial--how soon can they be charged????
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 15, 2007 at 8:01 am
Pelosi and Lantos by their own admissions were engaged in an alternative foreign policy. I concur that the republicans who visited should also be punished. Kanoodling with the enemy is never correct.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 15, 2007 at 9:07 am
I can't wait to have them charged with violating the Logan act, right after Bush, Cheney and the rest of the gang are charged with taking the country to war based on falsified, forged and manufactured intelligence and for the sake of a neo-conservative emperial fantasy and for war profiteering.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Apr 15, 2007 at 11:57 am
The joint Army-USMC manual, co-authored with Marine Lt. General James Amos, is an exhaustive exposition of a strategy that purports to win heart and minds yet refers to insurgents as "amoral and often barbaric enemies." Similar ideological tensions cut across the entire manual.
For example, the traditional stereotype of Marines as the ultimate killing machine runs up against their new role carrying out what the manual calls "armed social work": "The environment that fosters insurgency is characterized by violence, immorality, distrust, and deceit; nonetheless, Army and Marine Corps leaders continue to demand and embrace honor, courage, and commitment to the highest standards."
In every chapter of the manual, the military's attempt to cloak itself in a mantle of righteousness is shot through with irony. A short section on why the French were defeated in Algeria is titled "Lose Moral Legitimacy, Lose the War," a particularly awkward word choice in the wake of Abu Ghraib and other U.S. atrocities.
More important, even a cursory reading of the manual confirms that the new campaign will be a protracted one and in the current context is probably too little too late and in all probability doomed to fail.
In order for counterinsurgents to be successful, the manual teaches, "The local populace should be small and constant." In other words, U.S. effectiveness will depend on the small size of the area to be controlled. But Baghdad is a sprawling city of some 6 million people, and the areas that surround the city like Diyala province must be included in any comprehensive security operation. Even with the recently added U.S. troops and Iraqi army and police units, there is no way they can approach the manual's "density recommendation" of "20 to 25 counterinsurgents for every 1000 residents."
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Apr 15, 2007 at 1:46 pm
When was Syria declared the enemy? is this an official Bush gang declaration? So the Iraq Study group advised the administration to start talks with the "enemy"? What law did they violate?
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 15, 2007 at 1:51 pm
the enemy is in your mind
free yourself from hatred
love thy brother
war is caused by a lack of imagination
we kill due to our inablity to greive
you must live with yourself
everywhere you go
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 15, 2007 at 7:54 pm
You don't win wars by formula, because anyone who reads the formula will change the nature of the threat.
a resident of another community
on Apr 15, 2007 at 8:16 pm
thrown election
illegal war
torture of non enemy combatants
extraordinary rendition
war profiteering
domestic spying
scooter libby et. all
vice president shoots close freind, answers to nobody
walter reed
lost emails
mismanagement of hurrican katrina relief
silencing scientists who study global warming
claiming to fight terrorists while killing millin iraqi people/civilians who were
abu grahib prison debacle
using aggression as foreign policy of choice
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 15, 2007 at 8:20 pm
claiming to fight terrorists while killing up to a million iraqi people who were unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time
is that how we fight terrorism?
by acting the part?
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 15, 2007 at 11:46 pm
"Draw the Line" wrote: "Sure, as soon as we find the missing papers that Berger "carelessly" lost, and the source of the $90,000 being given, caught on tape, that William Jefferson stored in his freezer, and the reason that Dems are so upset at the firing of 8 federal judges when Clinton fired over 120 in the course of 8 years and nobody said anything BECAUSE IT IS LEGAL..oh, what the heck, it doesn't matter anyway. Only Republicans can be hunted."
Hey pal - bring 'em all down! Berger and Jefferson should face the music. That won't make Republicans look any better though. And even some Republicans are mad about these firings. Clinton, and other presidents, lowered the boom on the other guy's appointees, AND had to put in replacements with Congressional approval. Bush won't have to do that b/c of a Patriot Act ammendment.
The question isn't what's legal, but rather what's ethical. Read those emails (the ones they can produce at least) and tell me it all sits well with you when they talk about "loyal Bushies"... and they had a spread sheet that tracks which attorneys belong to an ultra-conservative legal organization, and a GOP Senator was meddling in an investigation. Rove even suggested firing all 93 just to cover their tracks on the ones they really wanted out. Legal, but craven. Can you imagine being one of those other lawyers and finding out later why you lost your job? I'm not saying the Dems are all peaches and cream, but the current admin. has established a whole host of new all-time lows.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 16, 2007 at 6:56 am
The "Surge" is nothing more than a crass marketing gimmick, concocted by war propagandists who have been lying to the country for the last four years about Iraq, to justify to an anti-war populace why we must continue our occupation.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2007 at 7:35 am
lies are an essential ingredient to get wars going
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 16, 2007 at 7:43 am
These are comments from Adrienne Kinne, US Army (1994-1998), US Army Reserves (1998-2004, activated 10/01-10/03), Arabic linguist (military intelligence). He now works for the VA in White River Junction as a research health science specialist (MS in psychology).
I was always opposed to our invading Iraq. I knew Bush was manipulating 9/11 from the start. It was very frustrating, and continues to be so. The media totally dropped the ball. I suppose that's because the vast majority of our media is owned by three men who have ties to Bush and their own motivations for wanting us to invade Iraq (though I didn't understand the threat of media consolidation and corporate interests back then).
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2007 at 8:35 am
There is a new book out by a former Bush speechwriter, Victor Gold GOP, in which the author slams the administration and exposes their zeal for creating a pretext for a war that was planned many years in advance.
For further info on this new book check out the website:
It appeared on April 13/07
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2007 at 8:38 am
sorry about that
the books title is:
Invasion of the Party Snatcher: How the Neo-Cons and Holy Rollers Destroyed the GOP
author: Vic Gold (for Bush speechwriter)
a resident of another community
on Apr 16, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Noticed some quotes going up here, so thought I would add, by Andrew Jackson
"THe moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in eery object only the traits that faor that theory"
would be nice if everyone could remember that as they argue.
a resident of Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Apr 16, 2007 at 3:28 pm
One thing about Walter, he engages writers like no one else. He seems to enjoy all sorts of topics. It wouldn't be nearly as interesting if everyone ignored him.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 16, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Notice I said nothing about Nichole or that singing contest.
a resident of Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Apr 16, 2007 at 3:51 pm