Monday, June 9, 2008

Political Hogwash in my Inbox

Yes its an election year complaint. If you have email and you've got friends, you've likely been 'forwarded' these political smear campaign emails claiming that one or both of the nominees are the 'Devil'.

An example of such hogwash:
Subject: Who is Barack Obama?



whether our bleeding-heart, secular, Liberal friends believe it or not. This man fits every description from =the Bible of the 'Anti-Christ'!

I'm just glad to know that there are others that are frightened by this =man!

Who is Barack Obama?

Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please
forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to
think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United
States...better heed this and pray about it and share it.

=
/> snopes.com
< =
/> http://snopes.com >' confirms this
is factual. Check for yourself.

Who is Barack Obama?

Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack
Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu ,
Hawaii , to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM
from Nyangoma-Kogel , Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from
Wichita , Kansas =20

Obama's parents met at the
University of Hawaii .
When Obama was two years old, his parents
divorced. His father returned to
Kenya . His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL
Muslim from Indonesia . When Obama was 6 years
old, the family relocate
to Indonesia . Obama attended
& nbsp;a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also spent two
years in a Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that
he is a Muslim . He is quick to point out that, 'He was once
a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school.'

Obama's political handlers are attempting to
make it appear that that he is not a radical.

Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this =
influence was
temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to
Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence =
over his
son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, =
introduced his
stepson to Islam. Obama
was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta .

Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim =
terrorists
who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is =
politically
expedient to be a CHRIS TIAN when seeking major
public office in the United States , Barack Hussein Obama has
joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay
his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was
sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.
Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will =
he show any
reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their =
hearts, Obama
turns his back to the flag and slouches. Do you want someone like this =
as your PRESIDENT?

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential =
candidacy.

The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside =
out, what
better way to start than at the highest level - through the
President of the United States , one of their own! The
Bible says 'He will come from among you!'

Please forward to everyone you know.

Would you want this man leading our country?

NOT ME!!!

=20
WITHOUT GOD, WE ARE NOTHING!!!=20

=20

=20



What turns me off altogether from the very get-go is the fact that the Subject line contains the name of a Presidential candidate.

Secondly, skimming down the email, it is ill-formatted. The links are not true links to http://www.snopes.com. Hovering your cursor over them reveals another source code or 'link source' that is questionable and therefore I do not click. It is simply formatted to fool one into clicking the link. This chaps my rear-end for two reasons, one of which is obvious - it discredits a reputable source of information by 'piggybacking' the name to a dubious source of information. This is illegal, and in the brick and mortar world - their have been civil suits and large law suits over this practice.

Reading the actual content reveals even more bull, best put on your waders because it is about to get thick!
It first states that Barack Obama 'fits every discription of the Anti-Christ' from the book of Revelations. I think someone has been spending WAAAAAAY too much time watching those cheesy 'Left-Behind' movie series from the late 90s. Its Hollywood, it is fabricated, cannot be issued as fact, simply prophesy. It is impossible to state the future as fact because it has not happened yet. No one can really say what the Anti-Christ will look like or will manifest itself as. A Presidential Candidate is just a sitting duck for this type of stuff. A perfect target for the media, sadly.

Before it even gets to the juicy content - it begs the reader to forward it to all of their friends before really even reading it and considering it's 'message'. People who blidly forward this junk should be banished from the Internet altogether.

Then it offers the fake links to snopes.com claiming that it is factual.

Then it states that his parents are Muslim and Atheist. For Pete's sake, does it matter what diety one's parent's worship? This is a very weak argument for the sake of the smear campaign put forth by the McCain supporters. One's parents can be Wiccans and yet the person of discussion (in this case it is Obama) can be a Christian. You're not BORN into Christianity, you have to ask your way into it according to the Scriptures. Ah yes, more political hogwash, and sadly using religion to justify their words. They'll answer for it soon enough.

His parents divorced at age two - his mother then remarried to a supposed 'radical' Muslim. Again who cares, this is polital poop and not much more. My above statements reaffirm why this information is yet another weak argument for the McCain supporters.

When Obama was 6 his family relocated to Indonesia and he attended a Muslim school as well as a Catholic School. DOES IT MATTER WHERE HE WAS EDUCATED? Indonesia has a very large Muslim population as well as a Catholic population. Just because he wasnt educated in the public school system or a private Christian school in the good ole US of A doesnt mean he necessarily adheres to the beliefs of the Muslims or Catholics. Here in America where we want to admit it or not, we have Muslim and Jewish children attending Catholic or Christian charter schools right here. Why? Because it boils down to the fact that the parents want the best education possible for their children. Now couldnt it have been that Obama's Momma and Step-father only wanted to ensure that he got the best education possible regardless of the religious affiliation of the school? Absolutely. Some people just don't want to admit this.

'He takes great care to hide the fact that he is Muslim and that he once attended a Catholic school.' Well gee golly molly! Could it simply be that he converted from Islam to Christianity? I think someone is just wanting to beat the dead Muslim horse some more just for the sake of argument.

The final bits that his advisors and campaign handlers are downplaying his Islam and his affiliation to the Church of Christ and etc. And that he does not show reverence for the flag and that he used a Koran to be sworn into office?

DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHEN WE'VE GOT GUYS BUSTING THEIR TAILS OVERSEAS?

The part about irreverence is hooey. And those throwing a hissy fit over whether or not Obama wears a silly pin need to get a life.

Those who start and send such emails should put their hands on the computer desk and give it a good shove and push themselves AWAY from the computer and learn to get their information from more reputable sources other than random emails floating into their inboxes as well as their posterior.

For those of you who send me such emails - I never read them, I simply toss them into the junk box without ever opening them. But for the sake of blogging I opened one today to use as an example in my blog. :)

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Neon Bird

Some of you may have noticed the neon bird widget at the footer of this page, if you haven't scroll down to the bottom for a moment to take a peek. It is a countdown ticker for a DVD release of Darren Hayes' 'Time Machine Tour'.

But you mostly notice the neon bird, the origami crane which is the main theme for the entire album and DVD series for this go around. (For the record he is possibly working on some new stuff, but nothing for sure yet, just a mention of being in between albums on his blog.)

Well if you go to www.neonbird.com, you can learn how to make an origami swan. (I have made a trio of them ranging from large to small.)

Darren has decided to launch an experiment of random kindness, and your left wondering what does origami have anything to do with kindness?

Well in ancient Japanese tradition, the unfolding of paper releases a wish to be fullfilled.

What you are supposed to do is, get some square paper and write a wish on it for a friend, a relative, or a random person. Then follow the instructions on neonbird.com on how to properly fold it. Once you have folded it, write 'A wish for you' on one of the wings then leave your swan in random places, mail it, leave it at their door step, office desk, anywhere. You can even directly hand them to their reciepients as a small gift.

I will continue practicing on a few more until I have gotten perfection with them. Once I am satisfied, I will purchase origami paper from a craft store then make several to send to the people I care about.

I will post photos of them before delivering them.

Also if you want to take part in the neon bird version, be sure to write 'www.neonbird.com' somewhere on the swan so that they will visit and hopefully 'register' their swans with th site.

There is nothing quite like seeing the smile of someones face when they receive a random act of kindness. This is just one unique way of saying/doing so. Be sure to check back for pictures in the next day or so.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Where You Want To Be

Yes this post is titled after a Darren Hayes song of the same title. As I listened to the lyrics thoughts and memories of close friends past came flooding in. Good times and bad times and intimate moments shared.

Out of the few friends I have made in life - I'm the one that's failed or so it seems. Am I jealous? Not really, but sometimes I wonder if they are really happy with what theyve ended up with. It terms of worldy measures of success and material things, yes these people went on to be very successful and I am glad they accomplished everything they set out to do. But I have stop and wonder - are they really where they wanted to be? Did they wait for love or did they settle for someone to hold?

I don't have much to offer in terms of money, or things, but I have my love to give and frankly to me, thats worth more than money or gold.

But at the same time, when people would imagine that I am content of where I've landed, and considering where I've been. I still feel this void that desires to be filled. I have this longing for something to make me whole, complete, a finished work. Something that can allow me to look back on my life and say 'Hey it was worth it and I'd do it all again to get right back here.'

Do I desire to go higher? Absolutely. Anything has got to beat being a single mother working in foodservice and given the rising cost of living, obviously cannot make it on her own, and consequently, setting her child up for the same fate becuase thats all the child knows. I want to better my life so that in turn I can better my daughter's life. That's my motive.

Where do I want to be? I don't know. I do know that I want to break free of the glass ceiling thats holding me in. For now is slow-going, almost feeling like Im trudging through a swamp in search of dry land.

What happened to my friends? We grew apart and Im sad that I don't have these relationships in my present life. During these relationships I had the best memories of my life and I felt like I was going places. But sadly, I turned a sharp left when I should have turned right. But that's life, sometimes it can be full of regrets and memories, could have beens, and hopes for a higher future.

Maybe someday I'll find another decent somebody to share my life with.