Wednesday, November 30, 2005

OPEN LETTER TO KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD

" . . .Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

. . . I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith." Excerpt from Open Letter To Kansas School Board by Bob Henderson

What Buddhists do at ChristmasTime

Buddha’s Enlightenment Day
By Barbara G. Taylor

What do Buddhists do when their neighbors are opening Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa presents? When they are celebrating Diwali, observing the fast of Ramadan, or lighting the Yuletide fires? Like adherents of most of the world’s other spiritual traditions, Buddhists, too, celebrate a major holiday near the time of the winter solstice. And their holiday even includes a star shining in the East.

Buddha’s Enlightenment Day commemorates the result of Shakyamuni Buddha’s search to understand himself, and is considered the most important day of the Buddhist year. During the week preceding the celebration, which is observed on or around December 8th, Zen Buddhist monasteries throughout the world hold their most intense retreats, with some practitioners abstaining from sleep for the entire seven days. But even such strenuous practice is a really just a shadow, a small reminder, of what the Buddha experienced.

Shakyamani Buddha is the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in the 6th century BCE. Born to an extraordinarily wealthy and privileged family, actually raised to be a king, he spent his childhood, youth, and young adulthood surrounded with beautiful objects, sweet smells, lovely sounds and luscious tastes, dressed in the finest garments, waited upon by servants, protected from harm and sheltered from anything that was difficult, ugly or unpleasant. His life was an enviable one; he lacked nothing, wanted nothing that youth and wealth could supply, including a lovely wife and delightful children. But despite all these pleasures and privileges, he longed to see the world outside his palace walls, the world from which his family, with all its good intentions, had tried so hard to protect him.

Siddhartha Gautama left the palace, and immediately encountered three things that he had never seen before. He saw an old woman, wrinkled and frail, with trembling hands and legs that would barely support her, with cataracts in her eyes. Next, he saw sick people, suffering from painful, incurable illnesses, covered with sores and vomit, and others with injured bodies, infected wounds and broken bones. And, finally, he saw people carrying a corpse, their beloved husband, friend and father, taking him away to burn on a funeral pyre. Suddenly, Siddhartha Gautama realized that all life is suffering. And he could not understand why.

Bewildered, he removed his silken clothes, abandoned his rich possessions, his family and all that he had known, and went out into the new and unfamiliar world that he had just discovered, seeking to learn what it means to be human. He wandered as far as his feet would carry him, wondering “What is human life?” and “Why do humans suffer so?” Eventually his question grew so large and overwhelming that he could focus on it alone. He spent six years sitting under the Bodhi tree, never sleeping, barely eating, only asking, “What am I?”

And then, one day, after he had sat for all those years in meditation, suddenly he saw the morning star, shining in the Eastern sky. And he attained enlightenment.

At that moment, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha. The word “Buddha” in Sanskrit means simply an awakened one. How did he do it? How did he attain enlightenment? He only saw the morning star.

You, too, can wake up.

To study the way of the Buddha is to study oneself.

To study oneself is to forget oneself.

To forget oneself is to be enlightened by everything.

Barbara Taylor and her lovely husband, Jim Jackson, tend The Morning Star Zen Center in Fayetteville Arkansas.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Moscow Many Moons Ago

A Russian couple were walking down a street in Moscow one night when the man
felt a drop hit his nose.
"I think it's raining," he said to his wife.
"No that felt like snow to me, dear," she replied.
"No I'm sure it was just rain," he said. They were about to have a major
argument about whether it was raining or snowing. Just then, they saw a minor
communist party official walking towards them.
"Let's not fight about it," the man said. "Let's ask Comrade Rudolph whether
its officially raining or snowing." As the man approached the husband said:
"Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it raining or snowing?"
"It's raining, of course" he replied and walked on. But the woman insisted.
"I know that felt like snow!"
To which the man quietly said, "Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear."

Saturday, November 19, 2005

November 19 is Mali's Liberation Day


On November 19
1863 - Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
1915 - Joe Hill shot, but never died.
1959 - Ford discontinues the Edsel.
1973 - Lance Rentzel arrested.
2005 - 3-Car bombs kill 48 in Iraq; Bush says war on track



Happy Birthday to, James A. Garfield, Roy Campanella, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Bob Gibson, Dick Cavett, Ted Turner, Tom Harkin, Ahmad Rashad, Meg Ryan, & Jodie Foster

Thursday, November 17, 2005

NOVEMBER 17 IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY

1967 -President Lyndon Johnson says "we are making progress" in the Vietnam War:
1970 - Lieutenant William Calley goes on trial for the My Lai massacre.
1973 - Richard Nixon declared "I am not a crook."
2005-Conservative Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania, said "It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf region," "Our military is suffering, the future of our country is at risk." . . . "people with five deferments" [referring to Dick Cheney] have no right to condemn critics of the Iraq war.
*After serving in the Marines in the early 1950's, [Mr. Murtha] re-enlisted in 1966, at the age of 34, and served in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry, according to The Almanac of American Politics." See, New York Times article

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS TO
The Elizabethan era- - Queen Mary I died in 1558 and is succeeded by Elizabeth I.
Aliança Operário-Camponesa
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation
King Louis XVIII
Sir Bernard Montgomery
Soichiro Honda
Shelby Foote,
Rock Hudson
Danny DeVito
Howard Dean

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Duk Koo Kim's Last Fight-23 Years Ago


Kim lost to Ray, Boom Boom, Mancini on November 13, 1982 by TKO in round 14. Minutes later Kim collapsed into a coma. He died on November 18, five days after the bout.

Put This In Your Pipe Pat - Questions for Everyone

How sickening it is to know that a human with major influence on the American public can ’pray’ hurricanes, tornados and other disasters from one geographical locale to another. People send this sick son-of-a-bitch money – sometimes money they can ill afford. Why is it that he and Rush Limbaugh take a free ride while many of my pot-smoking clients are in the pen? How come nobody is acting up about it the way they did in the 60s and 70s? Why aren’t WE? Do we just get middle-aged and too tired to do anything but sit around and bitch? Where are we?
From Cathi

Friday, November 11, 2005

NO SMOKING BUT O.K. TO LIGHT UP A CAMEL-OR A HORSE


Our nations capitol again showed how out of touch it is with mainstream America. It continues to chip away at our rights. Though it is still legal for consenting adults of different species to have a mature relationship, you can't have a cigarette afterward.
Please contact your senators, representatives, and Karl Rove to stop this erosion of rights before we become like communist Russia.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

"A Great Day For Kansas"

Those who are so insecure in their faith that they need to call it science demean religion and science. See, Kansas, Where "Ignorant" is the New "Educated" Obviously some disagree. "This is a great day for Kansas," board President Steve E. Abrams said. "This absolutely raises science standards."


Board Member Babs Boone, pictured above, was one of two dissenting votes on the board. "These zealots are making monkeys of themselves and Kansas." She said, and then added that "Religious extremists of all faiths are the weapons of mass distruction most likely to destroy our planet."

See also this related article, Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Who Is This Mad Man?













I know he is a deposed political leader, but can't place him. He is apprently trying to avoid detection and can change his appearance. He always has the evil look and the mustache except when in drag when, I hate to say it, he looks hot.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Blog Change for Chat

As some of you may have noticed, the "Tag Board" that was at the top of this Blog has been removed. Though it was convenient for "chatty" commenting, it was creating annoying pop-ups for people who don't have pop-up blockers. Now to maintain a convenient way to "chat", or to comment randomly (as opposed to Comments to a Post), a separate "Tag Site" has been created and linked to this site. You will see the "Virgil's Tag Board" link in the list of links ... so that you can jump to that site for your random comment, or to join the thread of discussion that may be occurring there. As for Comments that pertain to a POST on this site, please make your comments within that Post (in the usual manner).
Now all that we need is a little PARTICIPATION!!

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

I Miss the Bear, and Football as I knew it, but Not the Racism



'Eleven Men And Sic 'Em'
After Bear Bryant became a coach, many players became dangerously large specialists, dangerous to others—and themselves.
By George F. Will This weeks Newsweek By George F. Will This weeks Newsweek

AMEN GEORGE

"DeLay, who neither knows nor cares any more about limited government than a camel knows or cares about calculus, probably will never return to the House leadership, and might even be voted out of the House in 13 months."
George F. Will: K Street Conservatism Newsweek Oct. 17, 2005