Loose Controls
Thursday, October 20, 2005
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
The planet earth resides in a space and time with us all at the helm. Each of us, individually can impact the direction our goverment will take. Plenty of the people I align with believe in right and do what's good and what their conscience dictates.
Yet we are surrounded by hypocrites, fanatics and people who've sworn to destroy the 'religeous zealots' who make up the majority of our government. Well, I don't think they are a majority, any more than I believe that their path of 'righteousness' is "God's will".
Ridley Scott's epic mastepiece "Kingdom of Heaven" begins with a simple man, a blacksmith, struggling with his religeon, while a Templar priest wickedly fans his doubts. While the blacksmith has lost his wife to suicide, the priest commands his assistant to 'cut off the head of the woman, so that she may never enter Heaven". When the blacksmith realizes his wife's body has been desecrated, and the silver cross he smelted and tied around her neck was taken and worn by the wicked priest, he commits his only sin on earth: he murders him.
In this movie, he searches for forgiveness, and when, after sitting at the Temple on the Mount in Jerusalem, he declares 'God is not with me' because his prayer is never answered. This happens after so many events that should have claimed his life, that he cannot see the God that surrounds his every move.
Ultimately, it's a story of fanaticism, loyalty, and faith. Every level seems corrupted by power. Every faith seems unbreakable. Every path seems fraught with peril.
In the end, it was, in fact, God's Will that caused him to perservere, a will that truly is,
unbreakable. ¶ 6:13 PM 0 comments
The planet earth resides in a space and time with us all at the helm. Each of us, individually can impact the direction our goverment will take. Plenty of the people I align with believe in right and do what's good and what their conscience dictates.
Yet we are surrounded by hypocrites, fanatics and people who've sworn to destroy the 'religeous zealots' who make up the majority of our government. Well, I don't think they are a majority, any more than I believe that their path of 'righteousness' is "God's will".
Ridley Scott's epic mastepiece "Kingdom of Heaven" begins with a simple man, a blacksmith, struggling with his religeon, while a Templar priest wickedly fans his doubts. While the blacksmith has lost his wife to suicide, the priest commands his assistant to 'cut off the head of the woman, so that she may never enter Heaven". When the blacksmith realizes his wife's body has been desecrated, and the silver cross he smelted and tied around her neck was taken and worn by the wicked priest, he commits his only sin on earth: he murders him.
In this movie, he searches for forgiveness, and when, after sitting at the Temple on the Mount in Jerusalem, he declares 'God is not with me' because his prayer is never answered. This happens after so many events that should have claimed his life, that he cannot see the God that surrounds his every move.
Ultimately, it's a story of fanaticism, loyalty, and faith. Every level seems corrupted by power. Every faith seems unbreakable. Every path seems fraught with peril.
In the end, it was, in fact, God's Will that caused him to perservere, a will that truly is,
unbreakable. ¶ 6:13 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
I CAUGHT MYSELFwatching FOX news earlier and it hit me how much they merely 'relay' news nowadays. Sure, they had, in the stretch of 13 mins. 6 stories introduced by Brit Hume, but 4 of the 6 were "as reported by". It started with the blogs, which I guess first pointed out the stains on the intern's dress, if you know what I mean. Now, blogs are routinely sourced, quoted and looked to for breaking news stories. Think about Matt Drudge and The Drudge Report. Don't guess how many hits that site gets! Every stinkin' hack has his own page now...
What I did like was Retired Army Gen. Scales' attitude on the Iraq conflict. Maybe it's the old soldier in me, but I like a guy who doesn't sugar coat, and knows where the politicians tread and avoids that territory like the plague. Plus, it's his understanding of these combat scenarios and geo-political temperatures that shine through. When he says a combat force is trained and can meet the present and foreseeable threat, well, you believe him. He did talk about the leader of Iraq's new security forces, and the beginning steps this leader took in forming his army. Yes, he accepted the guidance Coalition commanders offered, but he built it himself, right down to culling parts from a boneyard to assemble and outfit his new army. When his modest force was ready for operations, they lead the way, and while the numbers and esprit de corps grew, so did his arsenal and working knowledge, until now, as Scales says, they are ready to assume the lionshare of the remaining insurgent threat, which is nearly completely exhausted. This would re-enforce the idea that Al queda in Iraq is falling to pieces as a recent letter would seem to hint at, a letter intercepted by US intelligence from within Iraq.
If Scales is right, and the Iraqi constitution is voted in and is accepted, the light of day in Iraq will seem a much brighter.
I heard about the United States' penchant for selling weapons of war, this time to the Palestinians! Could it be true?
Head Palestinian Machmoud Abbas wants the US's goods because of heavy attacks coming from HAMAS. As the informed reader knows, HAMAS is the fringe element of the Palestinian populace. They are the hardliners. And they are dismantling peace efforts in their country. They've turned their capable arsenal onto Palestinian State Police, unleashin mortar fire and rocket attacks at a small, underarmed security force huddled behind sandbags. Palestinian policemen are issued, incredibly, 25 bullets each every day. With this they set out in the streets to keep the peace. Clearly they cannot take on HAMAS and it's deep pockets, and now they've got their palms out for the American grease. To their detriment, corruption and mismanagement allegations make Abbas' government look even more mickey mouse.
Had an interesting experience at Jury duty today, my first time.
Tell ya' about it sometime.
-Katykarter ¶ 4:06 PM 0 comments
What I did like was Retired Army Gen. Scales' attitude on the Iraq conflict. Maybe it's the old soldier in me, but I like a guy who doesn't sugar coat, and knows where the politicians tread and avoids that territory like the plague. Plus, it's his understanding of these combat scenarios and geo-political temperatures that shine through. When he says a combat force is trained and can meet the present and foreseeable threat, well, you believe him. He did talk about the leader of Iraq's new security forces, and the beginning steps this leader took in forming his army. Yes, he accepted the guidance Coalition commanders offered, but he built it himself, right down to culling parts from a boneyard to assemble and outfit his new army. When his modest force was ready for operations, they lead the way, and while the numbers and esprit de corps grew, so did his arsenal and working knowledge, until now, as Scales says, they are ready to assume the lionshare of the remaining insurgent threat, which is nearly completely exhausted. This would re-enforce the idea that Al queda in Iraq is falling to pieces as a recent letter would seem to hint at, a letter intercepted by US intelligence from within Iraq.
If Scales is right, and the Iraqi constitution is voted in and is accepted, the light of day in Iraq will seem a much brighter.
I heard about the United States' penchant for selling weapons of war, this time to the Palestinians! Could it be true?
Head Palestinian Machmoud Abbas wants the US's goods because of heavy attacks coming from HAMAS. As the informed reader knows, HAMAS is the fringe element of the Palestinian populace. They are the hardliners. And they are dismantling peace efforts in their country. They've turned their capable arsenal onto Palestinian State Police, unleashin mortar fire and rocket attacks at a small, underarmed security force huddled behind sandbags. Palestinian policemen are issued, incredibly, 25 bullets each every day. With this they set out in the streets to keep the peace. Clearly they cannot take on HAMAS and it's deep pockets, and now they've got their palms out for the American grease. To their detriment, corruption and mismanagement allegations make Abbas' government look even more mickey mouse.
Had an interesting experience at Jury duty today, my first time.
Tell ya' about it sometime.
-Katykarter ¶ 4:06 PM 0 comments
