Wounds Without Scars

Wounds Without Scars

Comments 0 Comment

In the Civil War it was called "soldier’s heart" and "nostalgia." In WWI it was called "shell shock" and "war neurosis." In WWII it was usually called "battle fatigue." It’s also been called "combat stress" and "post-Vietnam syndrome." People who suffer emotional reactions to trauma can develop these conditions and military personnel engaged in high stress activities are prone to have symptoms. Paul Rieckhoff has posted an article in Arianna Huffington’s excellent newsletter, The Huffington Post, in which he reports…

Read More Read More

Global Warming

Global Warming

Comments 0 Comment

I’ve posted about global warming before (Nov 5, 2006), but the subject continues to be an important one. The Natural Resources Defense Council website says that carbon dioxide and other pollution collects in the atmosphere like a blanket and traps the sun’s heat. This causes the planet to warm up. Coal burning power plants are identified as the largest source of carbon dioxide in the U.S. and automobiles the second. The United States has just 4% of the world’s population…

Read More Read More

Pharmaceutical Company Corruption

Pharmaceutical Company Corruption

Comments 0 Comment

The media reports that felony criminal charges have been filed against a researcher for the National Institutes of Health for "criminal conflicts of interest." The scientist had been a leading Alzheimer’s disease researcher at the NIH, but is charged with having negotiated a private secret deal with the Pfizer pharmaceutical company in connection with his government employment. It’s alleged Dr. Trey Sunderland received $285,000 in consulting fees and expenses by Pfizer while working for the NIH. Sunderland did not disclose…

Read More Read More

It Depends Upon Whose Ox is Being Gored

It Depends Upon Whose Ox is Being Gored

Comments 0 Comment

Senator Trent Lott, has given us a classic illustration of this truth. This U.S. Republican Senator and former Senate leader has led the effort in the Senate to pass tort reform legislation. His state, Mississippi, is one the reddest of the red Republican states and Senator Lott, sometimes known as "the prince of darkness," has been it’s political leader. His anti plaintiff bias is well known. The Center for Justice and Democracy reports these past quotes from Senator Lott: (1)…

Read More Read More

Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer

Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer

Comments 0 Comment

Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in 1939. May was a 35 year old advertising copy writer for the Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago and was instructed to create an original Christmas story in booklet form. The store wanted to give it away as a free gift to shoppers during the Christmas season. May ended up writing about Rudolph. Originally, the reindeer was to be named Rollo and then Reginald, but both were rejected…

Read More Read More

Worry

Worry

Comments 0 Comment

The Rev Mark Link, S.J., has written a number of booklets with reflections for mediation. They are filled with stories and metaphors that are both are entertaining and meaningful. They are available from Thomas More publishing (www.thomasmore.com) In one of them, A contemporary walk with Jesus, he refers to William Barclay, the Scottish theologian. Barclay was a Protestant scholar who wrote many books about religion including study guides for the Bible that are well written, interesting and filled with explanations…

Read More Read More

More About Chamber of Commerce Duplicity

More About Chamber of Commerce Duplicity

Comments 0 Comment

Consumer advocate, Joan Claybrook, reports more about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s duplicity in concealing it’s political contributions in Public Citizen News (Nov-Dec 2006). I’ve previously written about the Chamber and their fraudulent political funding in support of big business. (Post of November 15th) The Chamber’s goal is to weaken the judiciary and laws which would put restraints on the activities of it’s supporters like Wal-Mart and other big corporate interests through "under the table" political funding. Public Citizen reports…

Read More Read More

Anti Judiciary Laws

Anti Judiciary Laws

Comments 0 Comment

Two states had proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot which had drastic provisions regarding the judiciary. Colorado’s proposal would have fixed a maximum limit on the term of judges, but was defeated by the voters. South Dakota’s proposed change would have made judges subject to criminal charges or lawsuits by people who believed their legal rights had been violated by judges decisions. If adopted, the law would even apply to decisions made before it was voted on – retroactively. Judges…

Read More Read More

One of the Greatest Blunders an American President has Ever Made.

One of the Greatest Blunders an American President has Ever Made.

Comments 0 Comment

In spite of the election results, it appears President Bush has the same view about Iraq as he did before the election returns. He was quoted this week as saying: "There’s one thing I’m not going to do, I’m not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete…We can accept nothing less than victory for our children and our grandchildren." It’s misguided business as usual for the adminstration regarding Iraq. This President, as commander in…

Read More Read More

Doublespeak and this Administration

Doublespeak and this Administration

Comments 0 Comment

"Doublespeak" means the use of words to disguise actual facts. To make it appear things are different then they actually are. The word is usually connected to George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty Four, but the novel really doesn’t use that word which was coined in the 1950’s. However, the novel clearly expressed the idea and did use words like "doublethink." The concept certainlly applies to this administration. Politicians and government have always used double talk, but this administration has demonstrated…

Read More Read More