LAUGHTER AND LIGHT

Today 2100 Americans have been killed in Iraq. That doesn't count the ones who were air-evaced out and died. That doesn't count the wounded. Today marks the anniversary of the death of John F Kennedy 42 years ago. This is the first year I haven't heard in mentioned on some news show.
Today I heard on Air America that one of the ways we torture people is to hand cuff them behind their backs and hang them from their hands sometimes they can stand up and live. In the case Al Franken was talking about today the mans ribs were broken and he couldn't stand up so he asphixiated. Very much like a crucifixion. My god we are the Roman Empire

I saw a sign posted on the highway the other day as I commuted home from work. It said 2K-Why? I guess I have to ask the same question. How many have to die before this regime wakes up. As they say on Morning Sedition on Air America radio "Wake up Sheeple"

You are a Social Liberal (86% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (11% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

which saint are you?


You are Julian of Norwich! It's all about God, to
you. You're convinced that the world has a
happy ending. Everyone else is convinced that
you're a closet hippie, but you love them
anyway.


Which Saint Are You?
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Because I’ve been thinking about the poetry I was obsessed with as a teen and young adult, I googled Richard Braughtigan. I found the following poem

Flowers for Those You Love by Richard Brautigan
Butcher, baker, candlestick maker,anyone can get VD,including those you love.
Please see a doctorif you think you've got it.
You'll feel better afterwardsand so will those you love.

As an RN who works in a call center doing triage and giving advice, I often talk to young people about std’s (it isn’t VD anymore) and safe sex. Perhaps I should tape this poem to my workstation. As a Christian who’s daughter took the true love waits program I certainly hope she does, but realistically….I saw a web page with a box of condoms the caption was “in case it’s not true love” perhaps I should tape it on her mirror, along with the poem.
Is it just me or does anyone else like this stuff
Haiku Ambulance Richard Brautigan
A piece of green pepper fell
Off
A wooden salad bowl
So What?

Anger?

As I look back on older posts and reflect on some of the content, it is clear that I am working through some anger.  I wonder how many others in abusive religious systems view of the world is colored by the anger at a system that failed them.  Yet we are not called to a system or a program, but to follow Christ.  As I go through the anger and discomfort, scream and yell at god, think about making little bald headed pastor voodoo dolls and question every thing I ever believed, I am stronger.  I know that in spite of the ugliness that comes out of my mouth and from my keyboard I am loved.  I am loved by the creator the father/mother of all.  

I spoke with someone the other day about some clergy abuse I am confronting.  When she asked me what I wanted to convey the word that came to me was grace.  Grace does not let a pedophile take care of kids, but grace helps me to see the individual as a child of God.  And grace allows me to forgive myself.

Hippie You are 14% Rational, 57% Extroverted, 28% Brutal, and 14% Arrogant.

You are the Hippie! Characterized by a strong sense of extroversion, irrationality, gentleness, and humility, you no doubt frolic through fields preaching peace and love to all! You are probably either very spiritual or needlessly paranoid about "the man", like most hippies, as a result of your focus on intuition and feelings over cold, brutal logic. You are also very, very social. And like any hippie, who would have no qualms about hitchiking across the country just to meet some interesting people, you too love to interact with others, even complete strangers. Because we know most any hippie is peace-loving and humble, it stands to reason that you, as well, are terribly gentle and humble, almost to the point of revulsion. Your carefree attitude of peace and harmony is probably very, very sickening to realists or cynics or anyone who isn't a hippie, to tell the truth. In short, your personality is defective because you are overly emotional, extroverted, gentle, and humble--thus making you an annoying hippie. And you listen to psychadelic rock and smoke a whole lot of pot. Okay, maybe not, but I wouldn't be surprised if you did. To put it less negatively: 1. You are more INTUITIVE than rational. 2. You are more EXTROVERTED than introverted. 3. You are more GENTLE than brutal. 4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant. Compatibility: Your exact opposite is the Sociopath. Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Hand-Raiser, the Televangelist, and the Robot. * * If you scored near fifty percent for a certain trait (42%-58%), you could very well go either way. For example, someone with 42% Extroversion is slightly leaning towards being an introvert, but is close enough to being an extrovert to be classified that way as well. Below is a list of the other personality types so that you can determine which other possible categories you may fill if you scored near fifty percent for certain traits. The other personality types: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. Starving Artist: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Bitch-Slap: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. The Brute: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Hippie: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. Televangelist: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. Schoolyard Bully: Intuitive, Extroverte, Brutal, Humble. Class Clown: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant. he Robot: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. Haughty Intellectual: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. Spiteful Loner: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. Sociopath: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant Hand-Raiser: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. Braggart: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. Capitalist Pig: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble. Smartass: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

Today during morning prayer it occurred to me to share this blog with some friends. (Unlike the rest of you my mind tends to wander during prayer) Until now I have sent the link to few, ones I know I can trust, who won't judge me or be offended by some of the content. After prayer I started to think about opinions. Does it really matter what another's opinion is of me? Are my opinions that important? That kind of stuff.
I am a member of a "new monastic" community, The Lindisfarne Community (link to left). We have a daily office we pray and a community rule based on the rule of St. Benedict (except the Abbot and Abbess don't beat us) In the Understandings of the Community there is a statement that I love. "We see through a glass only darkly and know our understandings to be merely provisional. We hold our convictions (which are few) without wavering. But hold our opinions (which are many) lightly. Therefore there must be a great willingness to change--being slow to judge, never condemning, quick to acknowledge mistakes and move on. There is yet more light and truth for us to become aware of, to assimilate and so be transformed" P.21 A Way of Living The Lindisfarne Community.
Sometimes my opinions are way too important to me, getting me into trouble. I would do well to learn to hold them lightly.

For more info on the community click on the link to the left. We are scattered all over the globe, so it is not monastic in the traditional sense of living and working together. We seek to live a life of prayer meditation service and study amidst our busy family and work lives to find Christ in the heart of the 21st century life the breaking down of the sacred and the secular. (from the preface to A way of Living)

As I reflect on the events of the past 12 days, I am overwhelmed by the enormity of this disaster. My heart breaks for those who lost so much, enduring conditions we think could never happen here, for those who helplessly watched loved ones washed away unable to save them. Babies dying of dehydration in hospitals! Elderly, drowning in nursing home beds! Where the hell are the pro-life people? Oh yeah the right to life ends at birth and only begins again if you are terminally ill or brain dead.

I am angry because our “unpresident” did not cut short his vacation to deal with this emergency, because there was no provision for the poor the disabled and the elderly. W cut short his vacation and rushed to Washington to sign a bill to keep a person with no activity above the brain stem in the vegetable aisle. Yet people standing on roof tops and wading through the toxic mess that covered the streets of New Orleans don’t count.

I read things from Christian lists I used to subscribe to are printing things about this being God’s judgment for everything from abortion and homosexuality to the U.S. “abandoning” Israel. But wait its not gods judgment “he” has lifted his hand of protection because of our sin. They even used the fact that the Islamic extremists said it was Allah’s judgment to prove their point. They support W’s inaction pointing to the liberal media. In essence, they support a mass murderer. A man, who has caused the deaths of thousands of people, is the hero of the religious right. God protect me from your followers.

Y2K really happened, it happened in Bagdad and it happened in New Orleans. Living on the fault line in a blue state, I pray this man and his regime are removed from office and put in jail, or as a co worker said put them all in new Orleans without food or water.

God have mercy on us