American Politics Summed Up In One Joke

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the senator.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”

And with that, St . Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises…

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

“Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning…Today you voted.”

One of the Quandaries of Our Time

By John F. Di Leo

One of the quandaries of our time is this: why is it that relatively few muslims are jihadist - taking up arms, attacking Christians and Jews, bombing churches, making war on the west, etc. - but virtually none of the billion other muslims on earth ever denounce those who do?

Many assume - or try to convince themselves - that it's because the vast majority completely opposes islamofascist jihadism (even though it's pretty clearly called for in their book), but they stay quiet out of fear. All over the world, the billion moderates are afraid of retaliation from the allegedly miniscule minority of jihadists.

My problem with this is the math. A few dozen jihadists in the USA can't possibly terrorize a million USA muslims into acquiescence on this matter. There must be a different reason.

Here's my theory, though of course I can't be sure... but I'll put it out there and ask what you think...

I think it may be most accurate to compare the way they think of their jihadists with the way we Christians view our religious orders - our priests, ministers, monks, friars, and nuns.

A Christian may not choose to become a priest or nun - you or I may not have any interest in taking the vows and joining that lifestyle himself - but he supports and endorses it fully, and he's GLAD that there are others who are willing to devote their whole lives to the religious life. Other people's kids become priests so that his kids don't have to.

He donates to his church or to his favorite religious order (the Salesian orphanages, the Benedictine monasteries, his local parish), in order to help support those people who are better Christians than he is himself. He's proud of them.

Similarly, a muslim may not choose to make bombs, hijack planes, or lead a paramilitary group in the Afghan desert. It's not his thing. He'd rather act moderate, pretend he's not into such things, have a house in the suburbs and a store or business of his own... and just donate regularly to his local mosque or "Islamic Cultural Center", happy that some of his donation will help support those others who are "better muslims" than he is.

No, this isn't to say that this describes ALL non-terrorist muslims. Obviously there must be some who genuinely are decent, kind people and who disapprove of the "religion-inspired violence" as called for in the quran.

But it's the only explanation I can see for why there are so few in that family of denominations who speak out against it.

Now, that's just a theory. Just my theory. There's no way for me to know if it's right or wrong. And there's no way to tell by taking a survey, because taquiyya would require them to lie and say it's wrong even if it's true.

But I think it's a more logical explanation than the one that says 90% or more of muslims all over the world are afraid of the 10% or less with whom they disagree.

And if I'm right, then there is only one solution: convert them to Christianity, because islam is irredeemable, unreformable, despite the parts of it that are in fact good. The jihadist strain dooms it as a net evil force in the world (along with its core of misogyny, endorsement of slavery, and its extreme violence in its approach to meting out justice)... Christianity admittedly needed reforms by the Renaissance, but I think if I'm right about the heart of islam's universal support for jihadism, it is simply not reformable.

Hope I'm wrong. What do you think?

Orignal Post Here

Nothing To See Here. Move Along…

Fun With Statues

Cure Your Technology Distraction Addiction

If you are reading this blog, you may suffer from Technology Distraction Addiction. I suggest going unconnected for a while, preferably outdoors away from it all. Before you do that, though, check out this interesting article.

Natural Habitat "Restoration"

I was reading this article in the South Lincoln County News (sadly, you have to pay for the full online article), and one of the last sentences caught my eye. It mentions how information on the frogs is useful to Oregon Parks and Recreation "… when it comes to planning restoration projects, helping them figure out when the projects will have the least negative impact on natural resources, like breeding amphibians."

Something in there is making me feel just a little confused…

Gun Control and Crime

"The national Academy of science has reviewed hundreds of studies, and could not document a single gun regulation that reduced violent crime or murder."

Read & view more here.

That Doesn't Make It Right

Our Rights: Defend Them Or Lose Them

A long time ago, I put my life on the line by swearing an oath to support and defend the rights of United States Citizens, one of which reads like this:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I didn't toss that oath aside when I left military service, and although I haven't lived it to perfection, I do consciously strive to fulfill it.

If you haven't read the First Amendment to the United States Constitution lately, I challenge you to do so, and then recommit yourself to support and defend those rights for yourself and others.

The NFL Is a Non-Profit!?

I really hope this isn't true, but things like this don't really surprise me any more. If I discover it is true, I'm going to research how Paul Tannahill & Associates can become a not-for-profit organization. 

Now accepting applications for new Associates.

A Stimulating Simulation Conversation

"It could take some time to collect enough data to begin peeling back the paint of our universe to see if the walls have been constructed from ones and zeros rather than actual wood."

Read more here.

How to Effectively Beat A Red-Light Camera Ticket

Yes, I know, I also prefer original and fresh content on the various blogs I read. So don't bother reading this excellent blog post about how you might be able to deal effectively with a traffic cam ticket. I don't care, I saved the copy in Evernote, just in case…

You Probably Can't Stomach Another Example of Racism, But…

… check out all of these RACISTS stating opposition to Obama and ObamaCare!

I'm Adding Oprah To My List…

Oprah Winfrey's comments here disgust me. She simply cannot comprehend that some (actually, a LOT of) reasonable people could hold opinions very different from her own, so the only thing her self-limited mind can offer up is that it must be a shallow bias such as racial prejudice. Sadly, she is among many who attempt to marginalize people with differing opinions with that incessant, nonsensical and unsubstantiated claim.

And before you say it, Oprah's comments (NOT Oprah herself) disgust me not because she is "African American," but because she peddles her unearned political influence to shut down meaningful and reasonable dialog about extremely important issues (and not-so-important issues, too, like a $40,000 purse, but that's another reason altogether to be disgusted…).

I notice the only way the Far Left usually refers to anyone they disagree with as "racist" is behind their online anonymity or some other indirect way. Why don't they just come up to us in person and spew that crap to our face?
…
I sent this message to the Oprah Winfrey Facebook page:

Oprah, please don't stoop to race-baiting. A lot of reasonable people hold opinions and beliefs very different from President Obama, and those differences have nothing to do with racial prejudice. Making accusations like you made here:

(link to above video)

may serve to substantiate the popular narrative that Conservatives are mostly racists, but it alienates us and marginalizes our views. Wouldn't you rather be know for listening to and discussing a variety of opinions and outlooks, or are you only interested in left-leaning perspectives? The Right listens to the Left's positions all the time - how about facilitating some balanced dialog that builds on what we all have in common, and moves us all forward from there, since the old "divide and conquer" tactics don't seem to have worked out so well?
…
Wanna join me in holding my breath, waiting for a reply?

Is This a Little Too Thought-Provoking?

This may be just a little too thought-provoking for some, but here goes:

How many of you remember when the APA removed general homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973? I do. Do you remember concern being raised that the APA would someday do the same for pedophilia? I do.

Guess what.

Since I'm probably on a roll here with provocation of thought, I might as well add a little something as I wonder whether this has had any influence on the APA's latest move:

If you have no idea what any of this has meant, currently means, and will mean to the American culture and society in the future, I suggest you wake up, study up, and stop being part of the problem.

Dare I Add to What The Dalai Lama Said?

"We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety, one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something's good, something useful with our lives. Try to be at peace with yourself, and help others share that peace. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the goal, the true meaning of life."

- The Dalai Lama 

If I might be so bold as to add:

"If you make it your life's work to help others contribute to other people's happiness, you will have both found and shined light on the goal for others to see, and strengthened the true meaning of life for all humanity."

- Paul Tannahill

The Old "Guns On Campus" Issue Revisited

At the college where I work, students and other campus visitors who hold a concealed weapons permit are allowed by statute to carry concealed on campus, but employees are not, because of a college policy. This results in the college not permitting people it knows from being able to defend themselves and other employees and students, but letting relative strangers carry freely. As a former Marine and law enforcement weapons instructor, it seems a little out of whack to me, as well as to numerous responsible permit-holding employees I know.

Please don’t strike back with an emotion-laden response to this issue, as a wealth of solid facts and statistics back up the position that a policy that allows trained and license concealed carry permit holding employees to carry in the workplace drastically reduces workplace violence. I have studied this issue for years, and I encourage you to do your own research if it concerns you.

This story brought all of these thoughts to mind for me.

Treat People Different To Give Them Equality. Wait… Huh?

From an old Facebook note I wrote a couple of years ago:

---

I attended an education symposium yesterday, where I heard these statements from a panel of educators promoting “equality” for students of color:

“If you want high grades for people of color, you have to reward faculty based on that model.”

"Students need educators that look like they look."

"Treat different people and situations differently - that's the only way we can achieve equality."

I was just a tag-along at this symposium, probably the least-educated and lowest-ranking person in the entire room, so I didn’t offer up a comment to the panel, but if I would have, it would have sounded something like this:

“I’m a newcomer to academia, having built my career in the workforce, in military, government, and private sector workplace training and development. We had pretty much moved past the point of stressing about people’s skin color and race (there is only ONE race: human), but instead promoted the general idea that we all are to strive to further the organizational mission by training and supporting people in their various roles. A red man hires a brown woman to supervise a yellow man to help a black woman train a white man for his new job, with everybody recognizing each other as just people - that’s what gets the job done. “Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White, they are precious in His sight.” And they are all precious in OUR sight, too.

Accommodating and enabling relationships built on skin color (or, as you call it, “race”) does our students a disservice, and does not prepare them well for life out there in the real world, the workplace that has largely moved past a perpetual focus on differences, and toward a focus on what we have in common to contribute to the mission. You may want to continue embracing  your old-fashioned race-based quotas and efforts to divide along lines of skin color, but the real world movers are PEOPLE who practice mutual respect and dignity across all lines of differences.”

iOS 7 First Impression

I like iOS 7 so far, but I miss the drop shadows behind the icons. The 2-dimensional flat look reminds me of Windoze. The next update to Mac OS X sure better not follow suit, or I'll start a "Give Us Our Mac OS & iOS Drop Shadows Back!" Facebook group. 

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