The Militant Pagan

2003-11-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Prayer from the Heathen Masses

From the always indispensable World Net Daily. They’ll make you laugh, make you cry and make you feel the overwhelming urge to drink like a sailor, sometimes all at once.

Witches, or practitioners of the Wicca religion, can pray at a county's board meeting, a federal judge ruled.

Erm, okay…is she going to raise her hands up to the Great Mother Goddess in a room full of Christians? Seems kinda stupid to me and very PC. She’ll probably get laughed at either to her face or at behind her back. Why oh why to Witches and Pagans set themselves up for such ridicule in public? Must be some leftover victim complex of the Burning Times. I’m all for freedom of expression of one’s religion, and I know, I know full well that most Pagans are at the very least ridiculed by their Christian brethren from time to time if not openly harassed. I’ve found the former to be the commoner instance, though.

Officials in Chesterfield County, Virginia, discriminated against Cyndi Simpson, a Wiccan, when they barred her from being on a list of clergy who can open the board of supervisors meetings with prayer, said U.S. District Court Judge Dennis W. Dohnal, according to the Chesterfield Progress-Index newspaper.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Usually when the ACLU gets involved, you know that it’s a left or far-left cause. Admittedly, no difference in this case, but it makes me wonder how much of this is Cyndi Simpson wanting freedom of religion (which, incidentally everyone in this country already has) and how much is just antics from the Left and a religion that to most of it’s practitioners is very pro-woman and anti-man.

Wicca is regarded as a natural religion, "grounded in the earth." Followers of its many different forms generally believe all living things, as well as stars, planets, and rocks, have a spirit.
In a letter of explanation to Simpson, County Attorney Steven L. Micas said, "Chesterfield's nonsectarian invocations are traditionally made to a divinity that is consistent with the Judeo-Christian tradition," the paper reported.

No, if you are Pagan, especially Wiccan (which is in fact an organized religion with set rituals, literature and litanies galore) you are not and cannot be consistent with the Judeo-Christian paradigm. That’s not to say that co-existence and a mutual respect is not possible.

But the judge ruled the board violated Simpson's constitutional right of equal and free expression of her religious beliefs.
Meanwhile, Dohnal argued, Christians are allowed to express their religious beliefs by delivering the "legislative prayer" allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

News Flash: Christianity is the dominant religion in this country. Does it not stand to reason that the majority of legislators not to mention the population at large is going to fall into that category?

Expressing delight with the outcome, Simpson, 47, said she believed the decision would bring credibility to witchcraft as a religion, the paper reported.

Wonder if Ms. Simpson has had a date in the past 20 years or so. Also, speaking from experience, I have known many older, single and often very bitter women turn to Wicca for solace, protection and the illusion of power. Why? Because all men are eeevill and the Goddess keeps men in their place by either lowering them to the status of consort or son.

The ruling was a victory for non-majority religions, said Kent Willis, executive director of the ACLU.
It demonstrated why church and state should remain separate institutions, he contended.
"As the framers of the Constitution understood from their own experiences, when the state uses its vast power to endorse religious activity, it will always make losers of some faiths and winners of others," said Willis, according to the Chesterfield daily. "That jeopardizes religious freedom."

The Framers did endorse the free exercise of religion, however, there wasn’t such a thing as Wiccans back in their day. (ed note-there were nature worshippers, though)

Now, I would feel a bit foolish getting up in front of a bunch of people whose religious beliefs are very different from mine and praying. Just couldn’t do it. While having her rights protected is a good thing, I would wager about the only thing this is going to do for her is earn ridicule from the masses. Paganism in any of its myriad forms will never be the dominant religion, anywhere. We’re not a religion of proselytizers (though stories like this make me rethink that a bit) and we have no gospel to spread. We do not have a divine Redeemer but rather a pantheon of angels, demons, gods and goddesses to choose from. Damn, if this keeps up, the Wiccans will be doing the Jehovah’s Witness thing in another few years, going door to door handing out pentagrams and sage sticks. My message to the liberal Pagans out there who make up the majority and give the sane ones a bad rep: deal with the place your religion/spirituality has in American society, stop whining about Pagan Persecution, The Burning Times, and the Patriarchal Paradigm of Oppressive Christianity and just live your lives. Or get one if you don’t have one already. And you can take that broom and stick it where the sun don't shine.

2003-11-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

Victoria's Excesses

Okay, first off, I love, Victoria's Secret; pretty stores, ridiculous lingerie I cannot afford (nor wear very convincingly) and tons of scented lotions and candles. In short, a fun side trip when I have to brave the dreaded suburban mall. On rare occasions, I have shopped there and admit that their commercials while pretty racy, are cool. But an 11 Million $ Bra!? Being a practical sort of gal I expected perhaps cups made from the carefully tanned hides of baby pandas and straps of mink, but nooo, sapphires and diamonds-ick, sounds cold to me. And there are those who claim this to be a sort of high fantasy fashion. After looking at the thing, I am inclined to believe that whoever designed this thing was probably just high instead.

I just wish they sold those full-length angel wings in their stores. Now that would make for a fun evening.

2003-11-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Focusing on the PC Family

Been gone a bit...veeery swamped and I have only a skitch of time today, so without further ado, I bring you this from once again, my home town, Denver. Seems that the state wants to tell a mom what she can and can't say to her daughter in the privacy of her own home.

DENVER — Like many Christian churches, the one attended by Dr. Cheryl Clark displays an assortment of religious pamphlets in its foyer, including some published by the Promise Keepers and Focus on the Family.

It was those materials that prompted a Denver judge to forbid Dr. Clark from exposing her daughter to anything "that can be considered homophobic," according to an appeal filed last week by Dr. Clark's attorneys and obtained by The Washington Times.

I am not, repeat am not a fan nor supporter of Focus on the Family, but they've got the right to say what they want regardless of how many people listen to them or not.

Dr. Clark, who left a lesbian relationship after converting to Christianity about three years ago, is embroiled in a custody battle with her former partner, Elsey McLeod. In April, Miss McLeod won joint custody of Dr. Clark's adopted daughter and restricted Dr. Clark from including anything homophobic in the child's "religious upbringing or teaching."

So mom found religion and now she wants to teach her daughter. Where's the problem, exactly? Oh, here it is:

The purpose of Focus on the Family is to strengthen the family in America," said Bill Maier, the group's vice president. "It is a sad commentary when a judge would consider a church homophobic because they display our materials."

So she's a conservative Christian who has chosen the literal "straight and narrow". Doesn't say anywhere in the article that she's telling her daughter gay people are followers of Satan or anything.

As an aside to this story, I have a very dear friend who is a lesbian. While that in and of itself doesn't bug me (she has a really cool girlfriend who is helping me refinish a dresser right now) I have heard her tell her young daughter on several occasions that all men are bad. That's what gets my goat. Basically, if you're a gay parent it is a-ok to teach "hetero-phobia" but not to be a straight parent who encourages a traditional relationship. Bullshit.

And for those of you who have sent email, give me a bit of time, I'll answer you. I've been snowed under for about a week and a half with vet appointments, doctor appointments and a couple of pretty serious projects around my apartment. Posting will be up to speed again soon.

2003-10-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

Halloween Observed

Halloween is observed in the Pagan community as the Night of the Ancestors or Night of the Dead. While many covens and circles try to connect with the spirits on the other side for guidance, diviniation or power, there are some of us who observe Halloween in a far quieter and less flashy fashion.

Halloween is the time of year that I take to reflect upon things that have ended in the past year. It is the night that I light a candle for my ancestors, the Irish and German immigrants who first came to this country seeking a better life, and for my more recently deceased relatives who I knew as a child growing up. I meditate on what they taught me, whether it is how to bake a pie, do car repairs or listen with a caring heart and compassionate mind to a friend in need. I remember my departed pets, those little companions I have been blessed to have in my life throughout the years and all the joy they brought to me. I think about what is to come in the year ahead. This year, as in the last two, I pray to the Divine for victory over the enemy, strength for the leaders of the United States and her allies, and the perseverance of all citizens of the free world in the struggle against those who would see us dead or enslaved rather than free. This year I feel will be especially difficult, given that so very many Americans have in the words of other bloggers “fallen back asleep” and thus into complacency. I pray that we will wake up again without another catastrophe befalling us. I pray for the planet, for its’ continued health and the companies who mine our natural resources to continue to be responsible stewards of the environment while assuring that we all have gas in our cars and water in our homes. I would like to say that I pray for world peace, but that is a silly and impossible dream. Instead, I pray for relative peace and stability and safety; that me and mine are safe and fed with a roof over our heads in the coming year. I pray for my friends of all faiths, for I am truly blessed to have such a diverse circle of them. I pray for America, for our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere around the world that they continue to put their lives on the line. We are grateful for your presence around the world and for your sacrifice. You are not forgotten.

I'm outta here for the next couple of days to celebrate. Happy Samhain/Halloween to everyone out there. Stay safe and have fun and for those of you with pets, remember to bring them in well before dusk; there's a lot of crazies running around loose and some of them aren't of the good variety.

2003-10-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

Pets and SARS

I was afraid of this

House cats and ferrets can get the SARS virus and pass it to other animals, a new study shows, raising the obvious question: Can they give it to people?

I am the proud owner of three little beasties better known as domestic ferrets.

Cats and ferrets are the first pets included on an exotic list of animals scientists think may be able to harbor the virus. However, the virus seems to be so versatile that it could have jumped to humans from a variety of animals, co-author Albert D.M.E. Osterhaus said.

For the Nature study, researchers inoculated six cats and six ferrets with the virus cultured from a person who died of SARS, adding drops that contained the virus into their trachea, eyes and nose.

The cats and ferrets began to show their infection two days later in excretions from the throat, and researchers found they produced antibodies within 28 days. When the animals were later euthanized, the virus also was found in their respiratory tract.

While I'm not going to start dipping my little carpet sharks in Lysol just yet, a visit to the vet is probably in order. And for those of you with cats, here's somewhat better news:

The cats did not appear to be affected by the virus, but they did develop a mild case of pneumonia. The ferrets became lethargic, and one of them died four days after it was inoculated.

Yeah, I'm a little worried and probably won't be taking my monsters out socializing this winter like I usually do. If there's other ferret owners out there who have caught this story and have some info, feel free to email me. I'm going to keep my eye on this one for developments and will post any additional details I may run across.

2003-10-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

Mail Bag

Back on the job for only a few days and already I’m getting strange email. This started on a thread over at the Emperor’s place about what form or forms of Paganism myself and another commenter by the name of Orion practiced. You can find the thread here. I’m not too sure what Mo is getting at by asking what forms of Paganism people follow; while I talk very openly about what I believe, I try to stay away from the fancy words (see below) and use spell-check so people can make sense of what I’m saying. Initially I thought he was just curious, but it turns out he wanted to quibble a bit (I think). Below are the emails he sent and my reply back. Honestly, I think that Mo’s question is almost as silly as going into a room full of Christians and asking what denomination everyone is and then wanting to bicker about it.

Hi Kendra,
So you're a syncretist.
I sympathise very much with this.
It seems that now that traditionnal establshed gods have been debased (i'm not sure it's the right word...) the best way of practising what used to be done by prayers and strict protocoles should be done with the practices and avatars of all one finds most appealing. Most conform to self-representation and longings and such...

Notice that Mo never gives a reason why he sympathizes. Also, this guy has no grasp on the English language. I disagree with his statement of “traditional established gods have been debased”. Churches are still standing and lots of people go so I can’t agree with his statement of debasement unless he’s telling me that’s where he lives. The rest of the paragraph made my eyes bleed.

Here’s my reply:

Wow, I learned a new word! You would be correct in applying that term up to a point, due to the fact that I've gone a little bit further and have begun to incorporate my somewhat scattered beliefs under the umbrella of the O.T.O. (don't know if you're familiar or not, but in a nutshell this is ceremonial magick that draws on a lot of Freemason structure among other things) I have rediscovered something that followers of the bigger organized religions know intrinsically; in many ways it is better to have a structure and framework for worship with specific rules, rituals and protocols. This is a post I am currently working on, but due to the great complexity of the issue I don't expect to have it refined and posted for another week or two. Ultimately where I stand on this issue is that structure is an essential component of any religious/spiritual practice; without a few ground rules it's just a bunch of savages dancing around a campfire

I thought that had pretty much closed the subject and answered what I thought was his question, but no. This afternoon, another communiqué from Mo:

Well I gess that what you lose in personalisation, you gain in efficiency and clarity.
Besides, it also helps permit collective practices (do you do that??).

Mo, religion is personal, whether you go and sit in a church with 500 other people or in your living room. You entirely missed my point of structure. It provides a framework for people to work within to praise, worship and revere the Divine. It does not take away from the personal experience nor automatically grant clarity or efficiency (who ever heard of an efficient religion?)

I think sycretism still fully applies, even if you institutionnalize your faith somewhat.
In Brasil, one sycretist faith is huge and thoroughlly institutionnalized.
Sycretism is basically just the compilation of scattered elements.

Think all ya want buddy about what does and doesn’t apply, and perhaps syncretism is an appropriate term for many Pagans, but then it would be an appropriate term for lots of other people. Christians still draw from the Old Testament as well as the New. Angry God-Job/ Nice God-Mary Magdelene, but still God. Interestingly enough, most people don’t consider that to be syncretism, just their religious structure and beliefs.

And he doesn’t tell me what faith in Brasil (sic) he’s referring to.

So here’s my advice to Mo: 1) Get a computer with spell-check because your emails made you look like an illiterate college student trying to impress a chick by using big and unwieldy words like syncretism and 2) If you really want to argue with someone, be clear on what you’re arguing about. Sending obtuse emails saying you “sympathize” doesn’t cut the mustard around here.

Sheesh.

2003-10-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

Smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em

From Deroy Merdock at National Review:

Comedian Tommy Chong began a nine-month federal prison sentence on October 7 for operating a glass-blowing shop that sold pipes to marijuana smokers. Prosecutors were not impressed that his Nice Dreams Enterprises marketed a morally neutral product. Chong's pipes, after all, could be used with loose-leaf tobacco, just as any stoner in an Armani suit can smoke pot in a lawful Dunhill meerschaum.

Point and point. Stoners through the ages have used anything and everything for smoking apparatus. What’s next, suing Coke and Pepsi for selling their product in aluminum cans that can be converted into pipes?

In fact, as the Los Angeles Times reported October 10, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Houghton's court pleadings sought Chong's harsh punishment because he got rich "glamorizing the illegal distribution and use of marijuana" in films that "trivialize law enforcement efforts to combat drug trafficking and use."

How’s about throwing a few Budweiser CEO’s in the pokey? Not only to they manufacture a subpar product, they use girls in bikinis and “guys night out” scenarios to market their product. Of course that will never happen since booze is legal, and pot ain’t. How many people are killed by drunk drivers every year? Lots. How many killed by rampant stoners? I’d guess none since most stoners can get lost in their own back yards when they’re high, and probably have no idea where their car is, let alone the keys to it.

At last, the homeland is secure from Chong, a 65-year-old comic whose merchandise spared potheads from fumbling with rolling papers. Could there be any greater triumph for public safety than that? And in this peaceful world and placid nation, taxpayers can rest assured that officials are using their hard-earned cash as wisely as possible.

Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief that another eevill stoner is behind bars. Sleep well America, your Oreo cookies and cans of Lysol are safe from theft once again!

Just go read the whole thing. Most if not all readers of this blog will probably agree that the War on Drugs is the biggest waste of time and money this nation has seen in the past 30 years. We have a far more pressing war to fight against those who want us dead for who we are and what we represent. Let’s take the zero tolerance policy from the War on Drugs and start applying it to the War on Terror. Then we can let Mr. Chong free and give his cell to someone far more deserving of incarceration.

2003-10-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

Things to do in Denver when you're Muslim

From the Denver Post:

Inside a storefront in an Aurora shopping center, 15 young children in stocking feet hunch over notebooks filled with basic Arabic words, waiting their turn to parrot back pronunciations to their teacher, a Sudanese immigrant.

So far, so good. Immigrants moving to America for a chance at a better life. Nice picture.

Twenty-five miles away in Northglenn, an imam prepares for sundown prayer in a building across the street from the House of Rock nightclub. Three men join him to bow, sit and prostrate themselves on a colorful rug. He offers raisins, nuts and cookies to visitors.

Let me be the first to say, Rock the Casbah!

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, expected to begin today in North America, will be welcomed at 11 area mosques scattered from Denver's Five Points neighborhood to Golden and Greeley.

I hope the media realizes that they're being a bit stupid. After two years of fighting extremist Islam, we aaallll know what Ramadan is. Get it? Good.

Each mosque has a dominant ethnic group: Indians and Pakistanis at the Aurora Islamic Center and Afghans at the Metropolitan North Denver Islamic Center in Northglenn.

Their founders, aware of Islam's message of unity, are careful to emphasize they are not trying to create ethnic enclaves.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that whole 'unity' message applicable only if you're Muslim or a Jew or Christian willing to accepted lowered status? Surely doesn't apply to my definition of unity. And there are still people out there sitting mainly in left field that ponder why the Middle East has become what it is after so many centuries of culture, medicine, mathmatics and poetry. Division among sects? Nah, couldn't be that.

For years, Islamic life in Denver was centered at three Sunni Muslim mosques.

There is no full-time imam, and none is needed. In Sunni Islam, which is nonhierarchical, a congregation member best versed in the Koran, the Muslim holy book, can lead prayer. That practice makes it easier for new mosques to form.

That last sentence is the money quote. I would imagine that not only is it easier for new mosques to form, but possibly for more extemism to form as well. Just a thought.

Altogether a very nice and friendly article, but I have one question: How is it that one group gets a glowing news article about them that basically says nothing (click on the link if you don't believe me, this one was the very devil to comment on) and when another religious group just happens to have a major holiday in a mere four days? Besides , one certainly doesn't read in the newspapers around Christmas time of all the devout Lutherans kneeling and taking Communion. Multiculturalism and tolerance indeed.

2003-10-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

All Witches Own Brooms, But Not All Brooms Are Owned By Witches

At least once during this season, some modern Witch/Wiccan crawls out of the woodwork to whine and complain about Harry Potter being such a retard and riding his broom backwards and then explaining the reason(s) why one rides with the bristles in front. Right around that point in the article, I just kinda tune out and start singing the lala song since I really don't care much about educating the masses in a politically correct fashion. The commentary made by these people is typically no more than an stab at 15 minutes of fame and it's always some silly, rather unkempt looking individual who usually runs and operates a school in some remote location to teach students to connect with Ma Earth. But here at the Militant Pagan, we stomp on peace activists who have turned Wiccan because it's trendy and PC and listened to far too much Neil Young. So for those interested, here's the skinny on ye olde besom:

Uses for a Broom
1) Swept clockwise around your ritual space, this will purify (so long as your besom is made out of the right stuff, Scotch Broom is what the "original" bristles of brooms were made out of) your working area. If you're real ambitious or just bored and have a good working knowledge of herbs you could substitute Lavendar-Tranquility and Healing, Henbane-Cursing, or even Acacia-Protection for the bristles.
2) If the above suggestion of tying dead plants to a stick doesn't appeal to you, fear not, you aren't alone. A good broom can be purchased at your local magick shop. Prices seem to range anywhere from $30.00 on up. $30.00 for a broom that can't even really sweep your floor has never seemed very practical to me, but what do I know?
3) Go to your local grocery or bargain store. Buy a plastic one. Spray paint it, tie feathers on it, whatever makes you happy. Then just remember to use it for rituals, and buy another one for the weekly housework.
4) Forget the besom altogether and use whatever else you have handy. I've seen circles purified, opened and closed with a wide variety of tools. Wands, staffs, swords, feathers, etc. Basically anything that points and/or sweeps and corresponds to the appropriate elements of your work.

So, when you see the cardboard witches this Halloween riding their brooms backwards just like that little confused Warlock Harry Potter, remember it's probably safer for a warty nosed witch to go jetting around on a broom rather than a sharp pointy sword.

2003-10-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

New Link

To Two Dragons an interesting little blog that seems to have a bit of everything; politics, opinion, even a baby that likes hot sauce. Yup, that one'll grow up a right-wing tyrant for sure. Anyway, go give their blog a looksee, it's worth a stop and isn't completely heavy or frivilous (not that there's anything wrong with that) just a little of both.

2003-10-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

Attack of the Halloweenies part 1

Last Samhain (Halloween for the nonpagans in the audience) I struck gold with Mr. Hal Lindsey and his ridiclous article on the eeevils of Halloween. I been as lucky this year-yet, but I did find this. Great Pumpkin, can't the fundies leave anything alone? Since there's not really much on the website that makes it worth visiting, here's one quote that I thought was worth reproducing:

Light the Night is a Christian outreach
for Halloween night and an excellent opportunity to take back
ground in which the enemy has controlled for too long. In
allowing our "light" to shine on a very dark night,
it is a very simple way to combat that darkness with the love
of Christ. It is also a very non-threatening way to get to
know your neighbors and bless them at the same time.

Remember, more light means less
darkness. Why not join us in taking this night back with the love and light for Christ.

Silly Christians, everybody knows that the darkest night of the year is actually the Winter Solstice which falls on December 22nd, right around Christmas. Besides, fear of the dark, better known as Nyctophobia is probably treatable with psychotropic drugs or possibly a good strong shot of witch's brew. Were I a Christian, I would look forward to Halloween being the one night I could at least pretend to be evil. My philosopy is we're all Pagans on Halloween and if someone out there doesn't like it, too bad. Why, just reading this little blog here puts your immortal soul on Satan's A-List, or didn't you know that?

2003-10-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

A long, overdue thanks and apology to everyone

As I said in an earlier post, I ran into personal problems this past year like old people run into farmers markets. So, for those interested, blogging fell off my priority list for the following reasons:

1) Got laid off from a major oiiilllll company 1 year ago
2) Spent 4.5 months unemployed, swilling cheap beer and watching Springer after performing the daily job hunt ritual
3) My mother (where do I begin?) went to the hospital, then a nursing home for a while; about 2 months during Thanksgiving/Xmas. She is a diabetic with kidney failure and that is just the tip of the iceburg. 1 year later and she's still around, yay Mom!
4) My dear boyfriend of 3 years went loony this last June and tried to take his own life, not once but twice by slashing his wrists. Suffice to say, he is currently enjoying a very long extended vacation at La Casa del Locos. We are no longer together.
5) All of the above events were interspersed with a car engine blowing up, my previous apartment being broken into and property stolen and a bunch of little stuff that has made me jones for Prozac more than anything else during the past year. How I made it through unmedicated is a miracle. If any of you out there prayed/sent good vibes/did some nice magick all I can say is it must have helped. Thank you, thank you.

While I like sharing my opinion on world and social issues, I haven't been one to typically tell all on my blog in regards to my personal life. However I felt that my readers and fellow bloggers deserved a straight explanation after giving me so much wonderful support. I will continue to blog, though I ask for any of my old buddies who have stopped in to please give me a little time. While I want back in the clubhouse, I don't expect to trade it for the doghouse (yes Emperor, I have been visiting regularly, just keeping quiet and lurking) any time soon. I will be doing some construction as well as housework here at the Militant Pagan, but if you're a blogger and either an old friend or new I promise that I will update my links as time permits and if you want to link to me, I vow not vanish into thin air again like a lame Las Vegas illusionist. Or, if I must, I will provide a decent explanation as Ms. Lucas recently did and go on hiatus in a civilized fashion.

2003-10-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Back at it

And it only took me a year. Of course, a long time back I was dealing with a lot of complicated family stuff, and didn't notify much of anyone, unfortunately, so no more blogrolls for me...nonetheless, I encourage anyone who has stumbled across this site to check out some of the links to a few outstanding blogs...

2002-12-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

Still Here

But unemployed and computerless. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I've had a lot of family illness and issues lately which is why I haven't been blogging. Please be patient, The Militant Pagan will return by or before January first. In the meantime, those of you who have sent emails, thanks, but it is pretty hard for me to get around to answering them. I'll do my best though, so please don't give up hope. Love and blessings to all until the day I return and start behaving like a cynical sourpuss and arguing with people again. Kendra

2002-11-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

Why the war must continue to be waged

Seeing as how Iraq has accepted our terms and more than likely will not abide by them, I decided to take another whack at an essay. Please forgive the bad grammar and remember there are reasons why I don’t have a tip jar.

Do Unto Others

We dwell in a great country with the Constitution to guide us and a general moral code to ground us. We have managed not only to build but also maintain a civilized society. Sometimes though, one of our most basic precepts stabs us in the back. The Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. While this is a basic philosophy every schoolchild in this country learns and continues to remember the rest of their life, it seldom holds up when pitted against human nature or the rest of the world.

There are many cultures that presently have an entirely different set of morals from the Judeo-Christian West. Sometimes these cultures pose a threat to us. The current culture of Islam has a disease that runs deep. A lack of regard for the sanctity of life whether theirs or ours, and a belief of reward in the afterlife for dying fighting in a holy cause is the root of this disease, in addition to the subjugation of women and complete intolerance for all religions save their own. These very simple points should be all we need as a country and a culture to justify further advancement down the warpath but war is never simple. We cannot hope to change an entire culture when it is one that is not only utterly resistant to change, but harbors a deep hatred for us as a people and all we stand for.

Americans believe in many fine and just things. We use the Golden Rule as an anchor for most dealings with others. But, the Golden Rule cannot be applied to our current situation, and it is naïve for a nation in a time of war to believe that the rest of humanity thinks like we do. The idea that universal acceptance and abiding by the Golden Rule will somehow bring about world peace blatantly false. That does not and will not work for our current crisis. This manner of approaching the enemy is nothing more than an easy way in for those who wish us dead or under their thumb. The Muslims believe in an eye for an eye. The mottos are two sides of the same coin, the difference being that Golden Rule is taught in a positive context while “An eye for an eye” is clearly violent and punishment-driven. While not all Muslims want to destroy us, many of them do. This constitutes a threat that we cannot afford to ignore.

Countless others have said it before me far more eloquently, but I feel it needs to be repeated as often as necessary in as many places as possible until the message clicks with people: We cannot be nice, kind or tolerant to an entire culture that is devoted to wiping us off the face of the earth and feels justified by doing so based on dusty books interpreted by mean-spirited, hateful little men. We cannot sit idly by wringing our hands over the murders of our countrymen and clinging to the ideals of non-interference and pacifism. We cannot embrace these monsters with open arms, and far too many Americans continue to do so. We should not feel the need to apologize; the terrorists and hate-filled mullahs certainly do not. By continuing to accept everyone we become no one. The left appears to be infected with empathy for those who wish us dead. Empathy in its current guise of political correctness has begun to infect like a pathogen and cloud the judgment of otherwise well-meaning people. We lose our identity as a nation as well as our solidarity with each other when we allow the death of the enemy to tug at our heartstrings and attack our consciences.

America is a country of immigrants and this country is based on everyone getting along under a common set of laws that when utilized properly give citizens the right to hold their own religious, ethical and moral beliefs without gunning down a neighbor over differing opinions. Unfortunately this still happens all to often as evinced by the various crimes and atrocities that occupy the local news nearly every night, but as a people and a nation we are not out to get each other. If America truly were The Great Satan as the religious fanatics claim, we would have long ago degraded into Dionysian debauchery and would be half a step away from complete self-immolation. Yet we are not, simply because we are right and they are wrong. This is not a statement of theology, but ethics. We have respect for life while the terrorists and fanatics do not.

The war is not about nation building, nor is it about revenge. Certainly it is not about oil. It is about preserving our nation and its liberties. If we continue to ignore the festering sores in the Middle East, the disease will continue to spread until America becomes gangrenous and rots away from the inside. The acceptance of the enemy is evil in its most deadly form and we cannot afford to base our responses to this threat on The Golden Rule or any other feel-good moral philosophy.

2002-11-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Addition to the Nebulae

I feel I should warn everyone up front that soon (when the moon moves into Scorpio and the wind is blowing from the Northwest and the lame ducks are out of Congress) I will be revamping my blogroll/links. I thought I was being oh so clever by using stars, but it just turns out that there are far too many bright folks out there; both bloggers and non-bloggers as well as a good amount of dark matter and my understanding of astronomy is weak at best. So, look for changes in the near future. In the meantime, I would like to present to you, Evo. Evo has dropped in a couple of times and commented and also runs a nifty website called A Simpler Way. He is an herbalist, but discusses it in a bloggy fashion. As an added bonus, he's also funny when writing on matters like this:

Paganism or Pantheism?

This weekend is the Autumnal Equinox, also known as Mabon. It also coincides nicely with a Full Moon, making the timing doubly as meaningful. It seems that a few select individuals calling themselves "Pagan" here in the Valley were contacted by (or more likely initiated the contact) our local paper to discuss the upcoming "Pagan Pride" celebrations slated for this weekend.

So what's got me riled up? After all, why shouldn't I be supportive of folks trying to spread the word of non-mainstream religion? It all boils down to perception once again. Catholics don't jump at the opportunity to talk about how the holy communion wafers are really the flesh of Jesus and not just a symbolism. That's kinda icky if you aren't indoctrinated into the faith. Pentecostals don’t try and recruit members by touting the virtues of speaking in tongues. Jew's don't hand out free Matza balls as an encouragement to people interested in Judaism.

"During the fires (along the Mogollon Rim), we did a lot of energy work to bring rain," Bethany said.

Oh great. So Pagans are all a bunch of rain dancing wizards and witches, standing on the hill top calling in the sprits of the earth to do our bidding. Excuse me while I go find a rock to hide under for a while.

I found it amusing, anyway. So, please check out Evo's site. He's an actual herbalist and knows his stuff.

2002-11-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, I lied

Here's a quickie story before I resume my pounding of the pavement:

Wiccan seeks to lead prayers for meetings

An old story, found via Fark and here's my .02:

First, I am not Wiccan for several very simple reasons, I don't believe in the Wiccan Rede (an' it harm no others, do as thou wilt) and Wicca is in fact a "new" religion that borrows from ancient traditions. I am a free-form Pagan which gives me the flexibility to be just as eccentric and as eclectic as I want without having to adhere to a bunch of silly, pacifistic rules that are of little use in the real world. Still, if the woman wants to pray, let her. If others are going to pray during county, city, or state meetings, just let her have her say. Plug your ears if you don't like it or don't let anyone of any faith open a public session with a prayer. It's that simple. Though I confess that every time I see a Wiccan or Pagan in the news complaining, the image of a mildly overweight woman draped in black and wearing a pentacle the size of a dinner plate comes to mind. Of course, Pagans by and large don't resemble the stereotype, but I still get that comic image flashed across my mind when things like this come up. I am quite comfortable functioning in a Judeo-Christian society and most of my friends are of some branch of Christianity or another, but by not allowing this woman to have an equal opportunity to open sessions with a prayer like her colleagues, the bozos who are banning this are violating her constitutional rights of free speech and freedom of religion. The bible-thumpers really need to loosen their ties a little and take a couple of deep breaths. Perhaps that will restore the flow of oxygen to their feeble and closed little minds.

2002-11-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

Not dead, just busy

I know I'd mentioned this briefly last week, but I'd hoped to be back in the groove of blogging by now. Alas, I am not. I confess, I haven't been much in the mood to blog mainly because I am currently consumed with the job hunt. So, the ice cream stand is temporarily closed. I will still post the herb of the week, but I need a week or two to get a few things settled. I will continue to answer emails and if anyone has something funny, stupid or just plain weird that they'd like to send my way, I'll take a whack at it and post it when I can. In the meantime, I have provided links to the left for my eveyone's edification and enjoyment.See everyone in a couple of weeks!

2002-11-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

Everyman and the election

I didn't get into the election analysis and commentary because practically everyone else out there did it far better than I ever could, but today while reading comments over at Rachel's place, I clicked on a link that took me over to an interesting blog, Fire Dog Alley. Kevin puts very simply and eloquently into words the reasons why the Republicans won. Here's a little exerpt:

Forget Karl Rove, the economy, voter fraud, taxes, Enron, energized bases, The Anna Nicole Show, or any other idea you may have. American's don't like to see innocent people suffer or die. Especially when they are American. And most especially when they can project themselves in to the same situation. Americans do like revenge in times like that. If you try to stop (b) from occurring to those who caused (a), then Americans don't like you.

It's a very good entryand Kevin, you're going on my blogroll.

2002-11-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

Herb of the Week

I admit, I’ve been experiencing a nasty combination of illness, writer’s block, getting laid off in seven days and dealing two ferrets; one sick and getting better, the other too little to know how to behave. Apologies to all for the near non-existent posting, but I expect within the next 1-2 weeks everything will be back to normal. In the meantime, I will plug along with my favorite part of this blog, the herb of the week. This week, Valerian (valeriana officinalis) is up for review as I’ve been taking quite a bit of it lately to soothe my frayed nerves. This is good for people trying to get through all the layoffs and financial turbulence that is out there right now.

Primary Uses:

Valerian is used as a sleep aid and anti-anxiety herb. Valerian contains a volatile oil, which is very similar in composition to that of Valium. The medicinal part of the plant is the root that is available in dried, bulk form at most health food stores. Typically, Valerian is taken in a capsule or tablet form as the odor is very pungent and reminds most people of dirty feet. I’ve never had the smell remind me of that, but Valerian is very strong smelling, so if you choose to use it in a tea, I recommend the following recipe:

5 parts Valerian root
1 part dried rosebuds
2 parts Chamomile
1-2 pinches of ground Cinnamon

Mix well in a mortar and pestle or put the ingredients into a mason jar and shake well. Rosebuds have a very mild sedative affect and give a lovely scent to the tea that negates some of the strong smell. Chamomile is a very popular sleep aid and has a light scent and taste reminiscent of apples. Cinnamon is just for flavor. I’ve tried a few variations on the above recipe and Cinnamon seems to work the best. Whole or ground cloves can be substituted, but the tea will taste a little different.

Take a teaspoon or so of the above mixture and put it into a tea ball or small mesh bag. Steep in not quite boiling water for about 7 or 8 minutes. Any longer than that and the Cinnamon will congeal and ruin the tea. This can be taken 15 minutes before bed to encourage a good sleep, or while at home to relax the nerves. Valerian packs quite a punch, so do not take this preparation if you have to drive or do anything that requires a lot of concentration and coordination. If the smell of Valerian turns you off, check your local health food store for products that have been “de-scented”. Nature’s Way makes a pretty good one and it is reasonably priced at around $8 for 50 tablets. If you make the tea, store the mixture in an airtight container out of direct heat and light.

Disclaimer: If you are currently taking any sort of antidepressants or antianxiety medications, check with your doctor before taking Valerian or any other natural sedative as the effects may be magnified. Valerian should not be used on children under the age of 12 due to its potency. If you take this during the day, you may find yourself asleep at the next staff meeting, so exercise caution.

2002-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

Dumb Commercial, Stupid Marketing Dept.

I've been putting off blogging on this until most of the commotion died down as all I really wanted was a say in the matter, rather than activism(!) and, besides, I think they've pulled the commercial due to an overwhelming number of complaints since I haven't seen it on teevee for a few weeks. So, for those who haven't seen the latest stupid Verizon commercial here's the basic storyline: there's a guy sitting across from his little pet ferret. He proceeds to stick his tounge out at his pet and the ferret lunges at him uttering sounds that no ferret is capable of making and latches on to his tounge. The guy, in a panic, rushes out his door (ferret still attached and chittering, of course) and types in "SOS" on his handy-dandy Verizon phone indicating the versitility of instant messaging, or something. In all honesty, I probably would have ignored this commerical like I do so many others, but it got to me because 1) I am a ferret owner and 2) I truly hate and despise to see any type of pet depicted in a violent and bloodthirsty fashion. Why did Verizon decide to show a domestic pet in a violent manner? According the the email I received, it was to demonstrate that an up and coming guy on the go has better things to do than tease his pet. True....and this pertains to the commercial how? While I can understand a marketing department using a quirky and cute animal like a ferret (the one in the commercial was actually a puppet) they should have taken a cue from the Budweiser folks and made the critter actually funny as opposed to violent and filled with bloodlust. Budweiser did it right, and their ferret, who was also a puppet and made far too much noise for a "real" ferret was a scream. I saw those commercials before I even owned ferrets and would nearly roll on the floor over some of them. The ferret/lizard commercials are hands down some of the funniest commercials I've ever seen, though it didn't convince me to buy their beer (I am a beer snob, and Bud gives me a headache). Even the radio commercials were funny, if totally inaccurate. If a company, other than Verizon of course, is ever looking for a spokesferret, I think my new addition, Pandora, would be perfect. She's got more personality packed into her teeny body than the entire marketing department of Verizon combined. As for those who watched the commercial and now believe that ferrets are violent, bloodthirsty little hellions, the only thing I can tell them is, yes, I do have a five ounce killing machine at my disposal 24 hours a day, so don't ever stick your tounge out at me, unless you want it bit off.

2002-11-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

Killer squirrel on the loose

Squirrel Terrorizes Town

Word of advice to all the nature lovers out there reading this blog (come on, don't be shy, I know there's at least a couple of you) DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE, urban or otherwise. It encourages the little monsters to do things like this to people,

The rogue squirrel's latest attack was on toddler Kelsi Morley who was bitten on the forehead.

This has been a public service announcement.

2002-11-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Notes from the NFL

I confess to being something of a football fan *Go Broncos!!* due at least partially to the influence of my significant other, but I had no idea players actually got fined for things like this

Which brings me to another not so related point; why don't more women watch football? There are few things better than sitting down in front of the teevee and watching a bunch of fit, aggressive men running around in spandex. How I love football season...

2002-11-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Dumbass

Iranian police are looking for a phony sorcerer who conned a man into believing he was invisible and could rob banks, the Jam-e Jam newspaper said Thursday.

I thought sorcery was illegal, really illegal everywhere in the Middle East, punishable by death even on the suspicion of practicing witchcraft. Secondly, how dumb do you have to be to pay someone for this:

Appearing in court, the repentant thief said he paid five million rials ($625) to a man who gave him some spells and told him to tie them to his arm to become invisible.

Whatever this guy gets, I hope it's not serious. His stupidity made public should be punishment enough.

Via Yahoo News - full story

2002-11-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

Interview with the Military Pagan

One of our brave fighting men in Afghanistan was kind enough to agree to a short email interview with me last week regarding both the practice of Paganism in the military as well as some thoughts on war in general. Here’s what he had to say (edited slightly for content):

Paul:

A couple of questions from the enquiring mind of the Militant Pagan:

1) How long have you been serving in the military? What branch?

1. I've been in the military 19 years this month (Nov), but I must tell
you that I am a National Guardsman who has been mobilized (called to
active duty). My branch of service in Military Police, but I am working
as a historian, documenting the events going on here. Back in
the "real world" I am a police officer.

2) What are your thoughts on the general Pagan perspective that war is inherently bad and unethical?

2. My thoughts on war ... well I will agree that war is and always
should be a last resort. It is my experience that, if given a choice,
most soldiers do not ever want to do for real what they train to do.
But with that in mind, out of a sense of duty and responsibility we do
our jobs, so that others don't have to. This also allows those people
back home who don't agree with war to be able to speak there minds
freely. In a perfect world we would not need a military or a police
force to defend and protect us, but if nothing else the events of the
last year - plus should have opened people's eyes and minds.

I find no issue with being a wiccan and a soldier or police officer. I
believe that life is about balance and it is possible to be a "virtuous
warrior".

I know the Wiccan Rede says "As long as you harm no other do as thou
will" but no where in there does it say, that you should allow other to
willfully hurt our fellow humans.

My experiences at the WTC in NY and now hear in Afghanistan have opened
my eyes, and I see the great work the military is doing here. They are
helping the Afghan people get their lives back in order. We are
building schools, hospitals, health clinics, wells (for water) after
all this is a desert, and many other quality of life issues. All using
local labor, so not only are we rebuilding but putting the Afghani's
back to work.

3) Are there significant differences in practicing your faith in Afghanistan as opposed to practicing it in the U.S.? Any similarities?

3. Paganism in Afghanistan. Although I am not a "closet pagan" in the
military (yes my dog tags read "wiccan" for religion)I don't run around
introducing myself that way "Hi I'm Paul and I'm a Witch". But if
people ask I usually tell them. I even had an interesting conversation
with an Army Chaplain (Catholic Priest) for about 5 hours where we
talked about religion and philosophy. But because of my rank and
position here I do try to remain somewhat low key. I will say that I
like to try and live my life daily as a wiccan warrior, the path I have
chosen, and ensure that my actions are fair and just, and bring no
undue harm to others.

4) Do you have a Wiccan chaplain in your company/platoon?

4. Pagan Chaplains - As far as I know there is only one pagan chaplain
in the Army, and I'm not sure where he is .... but not here.

5) Are there any other Pagans in your company/platoon?

5. Are there other pagans here? None that have come right out and said
anything.

I would like to extend my thanks to Paul for consenting to the interview and sharing his thoughts on both war and religion as well as his friends Sondra, Joe and Carol who put me in touch with him. Keep up the good work in Afghanistan Paul, and we'll see you when you get back home.

2002-11-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

The Plague and the Fuzzies

Erm, posting has been non-existent due to three (3) factors:

1) A lovely version of plague, flu, or some other like thing I picked up from my dear little ankle biting ferret, Zeus. Between the garlic and the kleenex, I haven't known whether I've been coming or going the past couple of days.
2) Long and costly trip to the vet resulting in a $200 bill which showed that said ferret had gas and some sort of crud. Hence, I have been handfeeding during the past several days an evil, bloodsucking monster who thinks that the syringe is his new nemesis. He's sooo cute when he's angry!
3) Introduction of new "bundle of joy" to the household who finds it amusing to not only pounce upon her ill cage mate, but follow yours truly around like a little duckling with fangs, sharp fangs. Welcome to my nightmare...

2002-11-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

More idiocy from Greenpeace

Climbing the Tasmanian Totem Pole for the toothfish

I knew that if I just waited a couple of days, Greenpeace would do something stupid enough to warrant blogging over. I’m pleased to say I am not disappointed.

Fri 01 November 2002
AUSTRALIA/Tasmania

It's one of the most difficult vertical climbs in Australia - the country leading the drive to list the toothfish under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It overlooks the ocean to the south of Australia - where massive amounts of pirate fishing is driving the long-lived toothfish towards extinction.

Just a side note for those who don’t know what the hell “toothfish” is. It is Chilean Sea Bass, which is available in most good seafood restaurants. There’s a Lowry’s Seafood House not five minutes away from where I’m sitting. I hear they serve a fine Chilean Sea Bass cutlet, but unfortunately, I already ate lunch. Maybe tomorrow. I now return you to our regularly scheduled Fisking.

It's a 65 meter natural dolerite formation called the Totem Pole. And today two Greenpeace climbers braved it to send a message: "Pirate fishing trades away ocean life!"The climbers actually posted a sign on one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces? The nerve! The gall! the, uh, like stupidity of it all! These brave souls serve as shining beacons to guide humanity through the rough waters of dietary choices. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is the regional body responsible for toothfish conservation. But it doesn't regulate fishing outside waters of its member states, and it is having a hard time stopping "pirates" who fly flags of convenience and fish illegally anywhere they can get away with it.

Don’t fishermen need licenses, boat registration, etc? I wouldn’t know myself as I live in a landlocked state and have been on the ocean maybe once in my life, but if you need a license to drive a stupid little Yugo around town, wouldn’t it stand to reason that a license would also be required to operate several tons of steel floating in the water?

Big money can be made catching toothfish, which, frankly, is just too tasty for its own good.

Did the thought ever occur to you tofu-munchers that perhaps is why people eat it? The mean, evil capitalists who indirectly support pirates wouldn’t eat something that tasted like, say, the bean-curd you’re currently chowing down on.

In the past two and a half years vessels from CCAMLR members Russia, Uruguay and the republic of Korea have stolen 13,799 tonnes of toothfish from CCAMLR waters (while claiming that they caught their fish elsewhere). Non-member the Seychelles has taken 7,433 tonnes. The total value of the pirate catch by vessels from these countries during that time is estimated at $US200 million wholesale.

Nope. Not gonna even bother checking the facts here. Don’t care, doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Knowing the tactics of organizations like Greenpeace, the numbers are wildly inflated, massaged or complete lies meant to inflame the hearts and minds of the sandal-wearers.

The toothfish lives for 50 years (if given the chance), and does not breed until it's at least 10 years old - so, like other species that are slow to reproduce, it is especially vulnerable to overfishing. If the fishing pirates are not shut down, toothfish stocks are headed for collapse.

Awwww….the poor little fishies. Pirates are interfering with their sex lives. And exactly what other species are they referring to that are slow to reproduce? The Coelacanth, mahap?

Plus, although we all picture pirates as bird friendly, with a parrot on their shoulder, during the past year the real life pirates killed up to 93,000 Southern Ocean seabirds, which were caught or tangled in their fishing gear.

Now they’re out to save the seabirds as well. Just because seabirds are stupid and happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, the pirates shouldn’t fish. But only the pirates, because the other fishermen are all equipped with special magic nets that instantly dissolve as soon as an albatross comes in contact with it.

As Sarah Duthie put it from Australia, "While this climb may look dangerous, our climbers are perfectly safe, unlike toothfish and seabird populations which are in serious danger from pirate fishing".

Dangerous? Heck no! I encourage these bozos to risk life and limb just for the sake of looking stupid. It keeps me entertained.

If the toothfish is listed under CITIES it will close the ports of the 160 member nations to these pirates by requiring all fisheries to produce documentation of their catch. While some governments (such as the Australian) have pledged to support listing of the toothfish - the idea also faces opposition from others (Norway) and even some members of CCAMLR.

Now there’s activism in action. Close the ports! Chain yourself to a barnacle! It comes as no big surprise that a country like Norway would oppose this. Don’t those people practically live on fish? Maybe the opponents of this just have enough common sense to know that while people eat “toothfish” it’s not like going to McDonald’s for a McFish sandwich or anything even remotely close.

Fortunately, you can help by sending a fax to the US CITIES delegation. Toothfish is a popular dish in the United States - where it is sold as Chilean Seabass (guess it sounds tastier that way) - and US support for proper toothfish management is key to getting the fish listed.

Show those enemies of the environment you mean business – send a fax ! And to answer the above question, yes, dumbass, toothfish does sound rather unappetizing now that you mention it. Though Rare Almost Extinct, Big Ugly Fish that looks like a throwback to the Stone Age works well too. And so, gentle readers, remember the next time you feast upon the succulent flesh of the humble Chilean Sea Bass, you officially become an even greater enemy of the environment. Bon Appetit!

2002-11-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

Fun with comments

I finally found a decent comments service that seems to be more reliable than entation. I'm having a few formatting problems, though, so posting will be lite until I get the bugs worked out. Comments are working, but they're currently popping up at the end of each post instead of down by the date/time stamp. Feel free to use them anyway, and I'll have it fixed soon, I hope.

Update: Finally got the comments where they belong, though Shout Out is kind of a silly term. Oh, well, until I can get a copy of HTML for Dummies, I'm probably stuck. I'll try to change the utter ugliness of the default comments background as well; it simply does not go with my online decor.

2002-11-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

And now a word from the peaceniks over at WBW:

In response to Bill Quick’s Most Bloodthirsty Blog Contest, War Blog contributes this illuminating statement:

“When I first started up WBW I would have been all over it, but now it just kind of seems desperate and sad.”

What a powerful and compelling statement, excuse me a moment *hahahahaha* is that the best they can do? I was under the impression that the handholding kiddies at WBW started their little blog to keep tabs on warbloggers and their cohorts. That they’re pussing out now really comes as no surprise, but I admit, I’m a little disappointed. No motivation for activism, none at all. Tsk, tsk. They’ve opted to climb up into their fictitious Ivory Tower and look down upon the rest of us. Not enough oxygen up there, guys? Having a loss of blood from severe nosebleeds? Just remember dear little peacenicks, once the Emperor appoints his loyal subject, Mr. Silber as governor of California and His Majesty’s Imperial Special Forces descend to rescue the few sane people from that sinkhole, all your little pals at Berkeley are toast.

2002-10-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

Herb of the Week

The undead will be wandering over the hills and dales (or sidewalks and lawns) this evening begging strangers for candy and perhaps a soul or two. In honor of the creepies out for fright night, I give you our Herb of the Week – Garlic (Allium sativa)

Garlic is a tremendously useful herb and has antifungal and antibiotic properties which make it useful for treating conditions such as athlete’s foot. Garlic can be applied externally to the affected areas and taken internally to combat things such as the cold and flu. It is the allicin content of garlic (alliin is a complex sulfur compound that is changed to allicin by crushing) that gives garlic its cold and flu fighting qualities.
If you have a cold, peel and chew on a clove of garlic. Garlic can also be used to treat ear infections. A simple oil can be prepared with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (do not use vegetable or any other kind of oil) and a couple of finely minced or mashed garlic cloves. This mixture can either be gently heated using a double boiler set on medium heat for 20 minutes or can be set in a windowsill in full sunlight for about an hour. If you choose to set it in the sun, though, make sure you cover the bowl with Saran Wrap. This will not only keep out foreign matter such as dust, but will magnify the sun’s heat. After you have heated the oil, strain using either cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer, pour into an amber glass eyedropper bottle (available at most health food stores for a couple of bucks) and refrigerate. To use, allow the oil to reach room temperature or roll the bottle between your hands until it warms and put 2-4 drops in the affected ear. Repeat 3-4 times a day.
If you ever run out of Neosporin and need something quick to treat a cut with, rinse the wound with water, slice a thin piece of fresh garlic, and apply directly to the affected area. Cover with gauze and change the dressing every 6 hours.
To repel vampires, hang a wreath of garlic over your door or plant a few cloves of it in your garden.

Disclaimer:
Garlic is very pungent so you probably don’t want to use any of the above treatments if you’re getting ready for a hot date or a meeting with the boss. If you lose your social status because you didn’t read this disclaimer, don’t come whining to me.

2002-10-31T07:53:00.000-08:00

Witches flying on broomsticks

Seems this company is getting quite a lot of business from the kiddies who aspire to be just like Harry and his pals. I hope the manufacturer remembers to attach a prominent label somwhere stating: "This product does not enable you to fly." Otherwise, I see many, many lawsuits on the horizion.

Actually, the tie in with witches and brooms is pretty complex and revolves around fertility rites from the old days. The broomstick is a phallic symbol and the actual "bristles" of the broom are the flowering tops of Sarothamnus scoparius better known as Scotch Broom or Besom, representing the fertile and female. Modern uses for the broomstick - other than flying of course - are pretty basic. The broom is used especially for outdoor rituals to clear an area of both physical and metaphysical pollution and debris, though it can be used indoors as well for the same purpose. Generally when a broom is used in this fashion, sweeping is done in a clock-wise direction. One of the reasons witches were associated with "flying" is because many of the traditional potions and incenses used, such as Henbane and Belladona, had sopophoric and hallucinigenic qualites when burned or ingested. The alkaloids contained in these and other plants were often poisonous and contributed to a flying or floating sensation when used in ritual.

2002-10-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

Another pot-shot at the Halloweenies

The real Halloween

Halloween is not just a harmless kids holiday. It is the high holy day of Satanism.

I’d love to know who Mr. Lindsey’s sources are. I went out to the official webiste of the First Satanic Church (link denied for obvious reasons) and found the following statement (excerpt):Our activities, newsletters, and memberships are mostly done offline, the reason for this is simply that we are not an Online organization. This leads me to the conclusion that his sources of information are probably from alleged ex-Satanists who have been “saved” by his or another Christian organization.

Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic religious holiday. The Celts were pagan nature worshippers.

This is interesting because it contradicts the first statement entirely. Satanism – what little I know of it, is based on the individual, autonomy and anarchy. Those three qualities have precious little to do with “nature worship”.

The Harry Potter books and movies are unprecedented best sellers. Harry is a child wizard who goes to school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he learns how to cast spells, make magic potions and commune with the dead. Children are also introduced to the pagan beliefs of divination and reincarnation. These books are not harmless fantasies. The Harry Potter books indoctrinate young readers into the basic principles of witchcraft – all the while extolling its virtues.

That evil pint-sized wizard again! Why can't he just accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior and renounce his devil-worshipping ways! It is interesting to note that a bunch of middle-aged adults are alarmed and afraid of books written about a kid. I haven’t gotten around to the Harry Potter books yet, but did manage to catch the big-screen adaptation of the first one. While my memory is admittedly a bit rusty, I can recall things like flying around on broomsticks to play quints, quibs, or whatever the game was that even a twelve-year old child knows can’t happen, much less teenagers. As a grownup, you’d think Mr. Lindsey would know better. I bet he still checks under his bed each night for boogeymen.

The fundie Christians are just pissed and maybe a little jealous that while they've spent two thousand years spreading the Gospel, they still haven’t gotten rid of everything that they disagree with or don’t understand. Halloween, whether it falls on a full moon or not is a great day to be a witch, either in religion or in costume. So, I encourage everyone to raise their glasses of cider, bat's blood or whatever your poison of choice is tomorrow night to Mr. Hal Lindsey and the rest of the Halloweenies. For without their ceaseless whining and prattling on about how evil Halloween is, this holiday wouldn’t be getting the press that it does. We have them to thank for generating enough controversy to get Halloween thrust to the forefront of the media, even if it is for just a day or two.

Link supplied most courteously by Reggie. Reg, I'm making you an honorary witch for tomorrow, 'cause you're wicked smart and live in New England, where all the creepy ghosties and ghoulies are.

2002-10-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

Jesus drives an SUV?

GM Targets Christians in Marketing Drive

I would have figured the son of God to be a Ford man, but what does a heathen like me know anyhow? While there is a clear seperation of church and state in this country, no such line exists between church and big business.

The "Chevrolet Presents: Come Together and Worship" stage show begins Nov. 1 in Atlanta and ends at the Palace at Auburn Hills, Mich., on Nov. 23.

And I thought the five minute before and after Ford commercials last night which bracketed the premire of 24 were bad. Most Christian music isn't of the same quality of popular music, even based on the skills of the musicians that form these bands. I can't imagine sitting through a presentation on Chevrolet cars, trucks and mini-vans as the opening act to a Christian rock concert. I'd rather have bamboo splinters shoved underneath my fingernails.

"It's important that we get the message out there with regards to Chevrolet and how we're so family oriented and have great values,'' Betz said

Ah, the old standby, “Christian Family Values”, in so many words. I suppose the twits in marketing don't realize that what they're insinuating is atheists, agnostics, Jews, Pagans, etc., lack those much touted virtues.

The Chevrolet tour includes a multimedia worship service, with preaching by the Rev. Max Lucado, a Texas pastor and author, and a distribution of free evangelical literature. The headline musicians, Michael W. Smith and the rock band Third Day, are among popular acts in contemporary Christian music genre.

Now free with every purchase of a new Chevrolet two season passes to Heaven (sinners and heretics ineligible)

But niche marketing is nothing new, said Feuer. Technology has developed "to provide ever more precise pictures of who likely buyers are. Target marketing is now vital … and when they find a niche they will devote resources," he said.

There’s a vast difference between targeting a particular niche such as a profession for marketing purposes and promoting a religion. While Christianity is still the most prevelant religion in the U.S. and therefore has more potential buyers it is still tacky. And stupid.

For the first time ever, I am ashamed to drive a Chevy. I'm glad my lease term is up in a couple of months. Jerks.

2002-10-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Move over, Hogwarts

Magic meets science at witches' school

This is kind of interesting. A school of witchcraft. While a part of me thinks that it is a great idea and is pleased to see more and more witches worldwide stepping out of the broom closet, I have my concerns. Many people may choose to enroll in a school such as this thinking that witchcraft is a viable way to make a living. Most of the time, it's not for a variety of reasons. Witches are still viewed with a great deal of skepticism and contempt sometimes even hatred by the masses who accept everyone else regardless of race, sexual orientation and political views. The Craft is something that I think should be taught on an individual basis as it is an individual art. There are so many different paths out there, and modern Paganism has been effectively hijacked by rabid feminists, environmentalists and multi-culturists so that it scarcely resembles the rich tapestry of spirtual and philosophical beliefs it once was. In addtion to this, some people on the outside and a few modern witches treat Paganism as political movement rather than a religion.

2002-10-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

The Militant Pagan finds a Military Pagan

While I am unable to serve in the military due to familial responsibilities, I am always happy to find Pagans that are currently keeping our country safe and putting their lives on the line for the rest of us. One of my readers zapped me a very cool picture of a friend of hers who is currently serving. As I am the very soul of discretion, I will not post the image; besides, I doubt I could figure out how to do it. So here's my message for Paul in Afghanistan: May the Lord and Lady bless you and shine upon you. May you and your company remain safe and your aim always be true. Oh, and nice tattoos, brother.

2002-10-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

Snipers in cahoots with the Illuminati

I’ve refrained from commentary on the sniper case as about the only useful thing I had to contribute was in reference to the Tarot card in an earlier post. Still, the wackos have a way of tempting me from time to time. Anyway, while snooping around some of the wild and crazy propaganda sites, I found this bizarre article. Seems some of the more conspiracy minded folks think that the D.C. sniper’s victim’s hits formed a pentagram and broken cross (think upside down peace sign) meant to aim power at triggering WW3 in the Middle East thereby giving rise to the Antichrist. Normally, I wouldn’t post something so far out in conspiracy land, but I feel the need to point something out to these sinkholes of reason and logic and any of those who would buy into even 1/10th of their senseless babbling: A pentagram has 5 points, not 10 or 13, and the hits were not laid out in the shape of one. Don’t write about geomancy (magic based on geometric figures and sigils) if you haven’t studied and/or practiced it; it’s too damned complicated for the layman. Speculation of this sort is akin to sending a five year old out to rewire a house. So if you can handle it, go read the article, it’s weird and pretty far out there, but also interesting to see how completely nutty some people are. I’ve been searching in vain to find another copy of the map showing the hits, but CNN has taken theirs down. If anyone knows of one on the Net, please shoot me an email with a link.

2002-10-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

Qworst

Qwest stock closed at $3.46 a share yesterday. Guess I won't be getting my land line back after all.

2002-10-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

Drug Free Utopia

Schools D.A.R.E. to get real

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An overhauled version of the much-maligned D.A.R.E. anti-drug program shows promising results in early trials, researchers said, suggesting that lessons once reserved for fifth-graders could be reborn someday for pupils in elementary school through high school.

Keep on brainwashing The Children. It’s your tax dollars at work!

Researchers found that seventh-graders in six cities who took part in the new curriculum were more likely to find using drugs socially inappropriate than a control group, were better at refusing drugs and had fewer misconceptions about how many of their peers use drugs.

I’d like to meet the people that asked the kids the questions. When I was in seventh grade, I had a healthy respect for police, teachers, etc. It’s doubtful that any of the kids surveyed would come right out and say, “I smoke crack” to any authority figure. Kids aren’t dumb.

Sloboda, who led the study, said it's too early to tell if the new program will have significant impact on drug use but anticipated a follow-up program in high school will help children stay off drugs just as pressure to use them begins in earnest.

Pressure in earnest? I was one of the most uncool kids at my high school, and looking back, I feel so left out. No one ever offered me drugs. Kids are on tight budgets, and whatever they manage to get their hands on they generally hang on to, rather than handing it out for free to all their friends. Remember the sticker sheets laced with LSD that scary strangers were supposedly handing to kids 15 or so years ago? Never saw anyone who matched that M.O.

Researchers studied about 15,500 seventh-graders, some of whom took part in the new curriculum and others, in a control group, who didn't. They plan to follow the students until their junior year in high school.

Kids enjoy nothing better than being profiled over a five year period. Teenagers especially enjoy being harassed, grilled and interrogated. Will they be administering mandatory urine and follicle tests to them as well?

I, like many others, think that the drug war is a joke. Parents have the responsibility to know what their kids are up to, but it starts at home. Letting the state instill morals into children is simply wrong. I'm not saying I want the elementary schools in this country to turn into crackhouses, but teaching kids about the terrible effects of drugs - little fact mixed in with a liberal dose of fiction - can actually encourage some of them to do it anyway. This is why the drug war will never be won; people often crave the forbidden and the school system makes lousy surrogate parents.

2002-10-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

Thou shalt not steal

Ryder said she shoplifted for role

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- When she was detained after allegedly stealing merchandise from a Beverly Hills department store, actress Winona Ryder told security guards that a film director had instructed her to shoplift to prepare for a movie role, a witness testified Monday.

Um, Winnie, be thankful you don’t live in an Islamic country; you’d have a hand cut off and that would be a benevolent punishment seeing as how you’re a chick and all.

2002-10-29T06:43:00.000-08:00

Patriotism is alive and well

The Republican Party still stands for America. Something at least resembling what Our Founding Fathers had intended. However the time for change is upon us. I feel our hope resides with the Libertarians.

I'm not going to say any more about this fine article, except go read it. Now.

2002-10-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

Apologies

The Hell House link isn't working. Don't ask me why; I've relinked, reposted and republished so if you want to get to their site to take a look around please type in: alccdenver-dot-com into your browser. And while I'm at it, I'll throw another one out to Mr. Jon Jay Ray of Dissecting Leftism. Jon, I misspelled your name with an "h" but the problem seems to be fixed. I apologize for that, but I am almost completely computer illiterate.

2002-10-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

Speaking of Satan

Well, you know the expression, speak of the Prince of Darkness, and poof he’s on your doorstep ready to devour your soul. The VeriChip saga is one that I’ve been following for about the past year. Christians have their undies in a bundle over it, as one can imagine, as do privacy advocates for totally different reasons:

The chip has also alarmed some Christians, who fear it is the biblical "Mark of the Beast"; dozens of websites allude to the Satanic implications of the technology.

Yeah, yeah, mark of the Beast. Wasn’t that supposed to be barcodes several decades ago?

"(ID chips) are a form of electronic leashes, a form of digital control," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "What happens if an employer makes it a condition of employment for a person to be implanted with the chip? It could easily become a condition of release for parolees or a requirement for welfare."

These guys I can agree with. I’m not down with all my personal info being on a micro-chip. Far too (insert your anti-utopia slogan here) for me. Besides, hiring practices are far too intrusive as it is. I had to take a physical complete with 5 vials of blood drawn to get a job in an office and I’m a peon.

Here’s a few of the uses the makers of VeriChip are promoting for their neat little doohicky wave of the future thingy:

Controlling access to physical structures, such as government or private sector offices or nuclear power plants. Instead of swiping a smart card, employees could swipe the arm containing the chip.

Reducing financial fraud. In this scenario, people could use their chip to withdraw money from ATMs; their accounts could not be accessed unless they were physically present.

Decreasing identity theft. People could use the chip as a password to access their computer at home, for example.

If this becomes mandatory, I’m running off to Idaho to start a cult. Who’s with me?

2002-10-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

Halloween

This week I am trying to post as much Halloween related material as possible, the good the bad and the occasionally ugly. The thought occurred to me while posting, though; the fundies must not enjoy Halloween very much. Between fearing for their immortal souls and dodging fortunetellers, they have their hands full. Though it is not widely discussed, every major Christian holiday on the calendar was at one point tied to Pagan practices. Some of the super-fanatical Christians also realize this, and abstain from all holidays.

While Halloween is the night the veil between the worlds are thin, October 31st isn’t always the right day for it. This year, technically Halloween should have been October 21st (full moon closest to Nov 1st), but it’s on the calendar, so we’ll go with that. Halloween always causes a fuss; whether it’s between demonstrators and promoters at a venue like Hell House, or the abduction and cruel torture of neighborhood cats, Halloween is a day that never ceases to alternately intrigue, annoy and fascinate me on the simple social level.

Since Christians managed to make over all of the other old holy days, it stands to reason that many of them are still angry and upset over the one holiday they just can’t seem to get their claws into, Halloween. The Catholic Church made November 1st All Saint’s Day, but this didn’t fly with the Protestant population and so has never achieved the success necessary to stamp out pagan Halloween practices.

Perhaps it is the pandemic human fascination with the unknown; many God-fearing Christians have had their palms read or handwriting analyzed, but would die before admitting it to anyone other than Jesus and their minister. I myself have given numerous Tarot readings to devout Christians as well as several atheists. We all like a little mystery in our lives; it’s what gives imagination flight to the multi-hued realms of fantasy, and as Pagans it is important not to exploit the naïveté of the uninitiated especially on Halloween when it is pretty much socially acceptable for us to be ourselves.

Each year, I watch the Halloween/Christmas or Samhain/Winter Solstice dichotomy play out on TV, at work and in shopping malls. I find it amusing rather than vexing that the Christmas ornaments always make their appearance at the same time as the papier-mâché pumpkins. While fundamentalist Christians believe that Halloween is the Devil’s holiday, they have attached the birth of Christ to the Winter Solstice, which in the ancient Celtic faith was the time of the birth of the Bright Child (Gwydion) by his mother, the goddess, Cerridewen. The Winter Solstice was the darkest night of the year and so was seen as the turning point of darkness gradually becoming light again. The early Christians, in order to promote their faith and see that it supplanted all other forms of worship took over and remade ancient rites from nearly every culture the early missionaries came into contact with. While Halloween is one of the four cross-quarters, it is not the most important holiday on the witch’s calendar contrary to what media shows and the exhortations of fundies everywhere. I would place a greater emphasis on the solstices and equinoxes as these are the four major turning points marking one season becoming another.

Will the day ever come that the Christians ban Christmas? Of course not; that day will never come as the Winter Solstice has been successfully supplanted by the celebration of the birth of Christ, but it gives me pause to wonder how Christians can continue to celebrate their holidays and not acknowledge faiths other than their own as having contributed to their religious observances. Each year I set up a tree for the Solstice, as most Christians do for Christmas, but the Christmas tree has no more significance for Christians than a witch with green skin and a warty nose does for Pagans.

Most holidays, even those with religious or ceremonial components are usually just a good excuse for people to get together with family or friends and eat and drink a lot. A holiday is just that, a day meant for fun and togetherness. My sincere wish is that everyone has a good time, stays safe and eats lots of candy corn during the next few days or so. And check back occasionally; I have several treats and a possibly a few tricks in store.

2002-10-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Lite reading from the Halloweenies

A lovely religious tract from Mr. Jack Chick. Why put Snickers bars in the little ghosts' and goblins' goodie bags when you can give the gift that keeps on giving - propaganda?

2002-10-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

In my own backyard

For those who haven’t heard of Hell House:

Hell House is an outreach event that is structured very much like a typical haunted house that people visit and walk through. Hell House capitalizes on the "Halloween" time of year, when people are thinking about ghoulish and frightening images and attractions. Hell House is much more than a haunted house. It is a spiritually-based adventure that takes people on a 7-scene journey, each scene depicting the hell and destruction that Satan and this world can bestow on those who choose to not serve Jesus Christ. Literally, choices that can also have an end result of ushering people into hell.

Nothing like taking a Pagan holiday and twisting it to your own superstitious means, eh? Besides, how do the promoters know what Hell looks like? Have they been taking tea with the Dark Prince lately?

Hell House is an exciting, contemporary, timely vehicle that shares in dramatic fashion the timeless message that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the only Life.

Exciting! Contemporary! Usually, these adjectives are used to describe the new furniture your spouse just bought that is black lacquer trimmed in faux gold and upholstered in Zebra skin. Geesh…

Groups of 20-25 people will tour Hell House with their own personal demon acting as their tour guide. The 7 scenes each last 2-3 minutes. Scene 1 is a funeral scene of a teenage homosexual boy who has died of AIDS. Scene 2 is a drunk-driving scene where a father realizes he has just killed his family. Scene 3 is a teen-suicide. Scene 4 is a teenage drug usage scene where everyone will be surprised who is really in control. Scene 5 is a riveting abortion scene. Then the final two scenes are hell and heaven. In hell the Tour meets Satan himself. Hell will be hot, smoky, loud, visually disturbing, and sensually confusing. Satan will boast that everything they have witnessed in Hell House has been his handiwork, and that he will have their souls, too. They are then rescued out of hell by angels that escort them to heaven where they finally meet Jesus. Before leaving heaven they are given the opportunity to pray a prayer of salvation, and to also visit or pray further with a counselor. It is an unforgettable 20 minutes.

Wow, my own personal demon. Heck, most serious magicians sweat decades over getting the sigils, chants and incense just right only to have the little bugger disappear not five minutes later in a cloud of sulpherous smoke. But seriously, kids are exposed to enough garbage on T.V. already, do we need a special exhibit showcasing these monstrosities? Apparently the fundies think so....

Hell House is cutting edge, it is shocking, it is offensive. But it is Truth. What Satan and his entourage of demons inflict on people through the killing of innocent unborn babies is offensive to the Christian. Convincing the naive and ignorant they are born gay and then sentencing them to a life of bondage and oppression is offensive to the Christian. Teenagers influenced by the poison they listen to through their CD's, telling them over and over again that suicide is the escape they're searching for is offensive to the Christian. Letting societies message that casual drug use is something everybody does is offensive to the Christian. That is why Hell House must be bold. Hollywood is bold.

Hollywood also writes better story lines and has attractive leading men and women; not some “confusingly sensual” devil nor a bunch of churchie youth done up like drug addicts and knocked up teenagers.

Just another perfect example of how the fanatics take a perfectly good holiday like Halloween and ruin it not just for the Pagans (or am I an honorary Satanist this week?) but also for everyone. Freakazoids.

2002-10-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Friday Essay

I’m a bit on the sniffly side today, so blogging is on hold ‘til Monday a.m., at which time I expect to be fully recovered. Here’s a little essay I pounded out earlier this week. It may or may not be of interest to my readers (all five of you) but I thought it merited a little bit of examination. Let me just say up front that I am not homophobic; in fact the only thing I have a paralyzing fear of is cockroaches (roachaphobia). See you Monday.

Can homosexuals practice the Craft?

I saw a brief entry on this at the Conservative Pagan and decided to blog about it. Since this is a theological question it is almost impossible to answer definitively as Pagans do not have one common reference book like Christians, Jews and Muslims, nor do we have a lot of cohesiveness within our community. Many, like myself, are Solitaries, and those that work within a Coven, Circle, Grove, etc., tend to be very insular and apply their rules to only the initiated in many cases. So it is from the most widely accepted Pagan tenet, the duality of the Divine (i.e. the God and the Goddess) I have derived the following essay.

Since Pagans are polytheistic, we tend to be an amazingly diverse group, both theologically and in lifestyle. Lifestyle tends to be a sticking point though, as it is necessary to invoke both the male and female aspects of the Divinity for all formal ritual practices. The chalice and cauldron are both representative of the womb, while the wand, athame and staff are clearly phallic symbols. In working with these tools, Pagans gain a basic understanding of the male and female principles. Sex magick is considered to be one of the highest forms of ritual and sacrament available to Pagans of all stripes. In the Celtic faith, there was an ancient fertility rite known as Beltane. Many modern Pagans still observe Beltane, as well as seven other holidays. (2 Solstices, 2 Equinoxes, and the four cross-quarters of which Beltane is one falling on about May 1st) Beltane ritual centered around The Great or Sacred Marriage. There were many variations on this rite, but at the core of it was a priestess dedicated in the service of the Goddess who would allow herself to be pursued by a man portraying the Horned God, typically a ruler or aspiring ruler of the land. She would then be caught or chased into a cave, grove, etc., where they would have intercourse. By doing this, the ancients accomplished two things: first, they guaranteed the security of the land by the display of virility and assertiveness of their ruler, and second, demonstrated the fertility of the land itself represented by the child that would be conceived from the union as well as the woman who bore it. The children born from such unions often would go on to become rulers themselves being from a royal line, or would enter the service of the Lord and Lady as priests, bards and healers.

So in short, homosexuality and the Craft do not work together harmoniously. Speaking from personal experience, it seems that many lesbians are drawn to Paganism for the simple and incomplete reason of a female deity. While the Goddess is seen as both nurturing mother and virgin huntress, She is not complete without her consort, The God who ensures protection of all creatures and the continuation of humanity through his fertility combined with that of hers. The mingling of both male and female energy is the cornerstone for all Pagan practices, though many modern Pagans have conveniently forgotten this due to constant bombardment of “love everyone, tolerate everyone, we’re all the same” messages they have been getting the past couple of generations. Thus, it is complete folly for women, especially gay women to enter into the service of the Goddess without the understanding and manifestation of the God in their lives as well. I have not yet met a gay man who is also Pagan; it seems almost exclusively gay women who are drawn to the Craft. The Goddess is not a man-hater nor lesbian and Paganism is not an acceptable shelter from one’s own feelings or preferences regarding the opposite sex.

Many modern Pagans, mostly women, but some men as well, honor the Goddess exclusively while seeing the Horned God as the tyrannical oppressor and rapist of women and therefore of humankind. These people cannot accept the idea of a male deity many times because they have either completely turned from Christianity, with it’s strict male focus or from the past thirty years or so of aggressive man-hating eco-feminism that has colored their perceptions of what is right and wrong in a religion.

While homosexuals can to a certain degree practice the Craft, it is incomplete and unbalanced. Skills such as spell casting and divination can be both taught to and learned by all people regardless of their sexual orientation, but the effectiveness will suffer. It also destroys one of the most important foundations of Paganism, duality. This is not criticism of an individual’s right to choose whatever partner they will, but to point out that one of the things that bring many of us to Paganism is the concept of balance between the sexes. Both the Lord and the Lady must be honored and served if one is to be a truly whole and complete Pagan.

2002-10-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

More Eco-Terrorism Brought to you by the fine folks at Greenpeace

I found this dumb little link via Greenpeace. Seems these brilliant activists are trying to shut down Esso stations in and around Luxemburg. Take a look at the pictures; notice anything amiss? The activists are driving in a car, typing on a laptop computer with a plastic housing and wearing plastic Hazmat suits. So, my question is, should these brave Earth Warriors ever succeed, whatever shall they wear to their next protest and how do they plan on getting there?

2002-10-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

A Shout-Out

To Reggie over at Talking to Walls, (very cool blog name, by the way) for being such a peach and helping me stumble and fumble through the nightmarish landscape that is HTML. I confess I'm pretty dumb about computer stuff. Should any of you, my fair and gentle readers catch a boo-boo here at the Militant Pagan, just let me know. Your input is both appreciated and valued. No go! Read Reggie's blog. It even comes with free recipies.

2002-10-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Herb of the Week:

In last week’s post, I talked about Echinacea mixed with Ginger to combat the winter crud. I feel obligated, therefore, to cover the medicinal uses of Ginger this week:

Medicinal Uses:

Really too many to list in one posting, as entire books have been written on it, but Ginger promotes sweating, alleviates nausea, and generally makes other herbs work better. For colds and flus, there are few better herbs than Ginger. Just mix a bit of it in when making your own teas, or peruse the Traditional Medicinals website for several good preparations such as their "Ginger Aid" tea. A bath can also be prepared using 1/4 cup of dry bulk ginger root. Just tie the ginger up in either cheesecloth or a small, semi-pourus bag, toss it into your bathwater while the tub is still filling, (the water should be hot, but not scalding) soak for 20-30 minutes and you're done! Ginger helps promote circulation and it will warm you up on those cold winter nights. If you're trying to break a cold, after getting out of the bath, put on warm pajamas & socks and crawl under as many blankets as you can bear. Sip another cup or two of the tea while resting. Sometimes this will break up a minor to moderate cold almost overnight. As ginger is a "hot" herb, use caution not to add too much to your bath, and don't soak for infinity as you probably don't want to break out in hives. All in all, ginger is a very useful herb for practically everyone. It is non-toxic and has been used for nearly every ailment humans have ever had. A great herb to start with if you've always wanted to try a little herbalism but were either too shy or too scared. Lively ginger will do you no wrong and it tastes great too!

Obligatory Disclaimer:
The information above is not to be used in lieu of medical care. Hey, someone's got to support those doctors so they can continue making payments on their Lexus's, right? In other words, use common sense. If you have any sort of medical condition, chat with your doctor before getting involved in any herbal "hocus-pocus". Thanks.

2002-10-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sick
Chechen Rebels Holding Hundreds Hostage Say They Are Ready to Die

MOSCOW — Chechen rebels holding hundreds of hostages in a Moscow theater shot and killed one captive and said they were ready to die for their cause, warning Thursday that thousands more of their comrades were "keen on dying."

"Even if we are killed, thousands of brothers and sisters will come after us, ready to sacrifice themselves," declared a female hostage-taker, covered in a black robe except for her eyes.

As if the men weren't bad enough. It is women like this the Muslim world is currently producing. While I would be angry too if I were swathed in yards of black cloth my entire life, I would be going after the men that were actually subjugating me, not innocent men, women and children inside a theatre.

A blanket-shrouded body, identified only as a woman, was wheeled out of the theater Thursday afternoon, apparently killed in the early hours of the hostage drama. Sergei Ignachenko, a spokesman for the Federal Security Service, said the woman appeared to be in her 20s and had been shot in the chest and her fingers were broken.

So, one woman wants to kill infidels, the other is an infidel who was quite obviously tortured before being shot to death. Sick, sick, sick. And then, there are websites, like this one that claim Islam works to protect and shelter women. Looking at the two examples above, I find that impossible to believe.
Story found courtesy of Little Green Footballs

2002-10-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

We are all made of stars

I have fixed most of the links I lost when I made the template switch and they are listed to the left. Since, according to Moby we are all made of the same stuff, I figured that would be a good way to start classifying the blogs I visit. Also, I wasn't able to get responses back from everyone I wanted to link, so here's the deal. If you want your link removed, just shoot me an email and I will happily oblige, otherwise I'm leaving the links as they are. If you have a blog and would like a little linky-love thrown your way, just email me and I'll add you to my blogroll.

2002-10-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

My BlogDog

I was too busy making fun of CNN yesterday to post this, but I wanted to extend a big warm thank-you to Emperor Misha of the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler. He was the first one to respond when I sent out my little emails asking for permission to link to some of the big warblogs on the net. If you haven't read him, go now. He's both funny and intelligent and a real nice guy to boot. This little ferret-girl is grateful for his encouragement.

2002-10-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

A Must Read

I wandered over to the Conservative Pagan website a reader referred me to and this is what I found. Please take the time to read it, even if you aren't a practicioner of the Craft, it's that good.
Witches and the War on Terror (Why This is Our War Too)

By Phoenix Firefox, who in my humble opinion, should seriously consider blogging. An excellent article that details why Pagans and Witches need to support the war effort rather than sitting around casting peace spells and telling everyone that tolerence is the only solution to this most dire situation our country now faces.

2002-10-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Blogger is misbehaving.

I'm working on the template thing, but so far have been unsuccessful in my attempts. I will try to get something higher contrast up by the end of the day. If the blog looks like utter crap later on, please forgive me; I'll fix it when I can see it. Alas, I have no control over the tempesterous nature of Blogger.

2002-10-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Nailed it right on the head

Carol, a reader of this humble little blog, sent the following list:

How to tell if you're a militant Pagan

1. When you use a flame-thrower to light the altar candles.

2. When your athame has a bayonet attachment to fit on your M-16.

3. When your robe is made of camouflage material.

4. When your cakes & wine come from MRE's.

5. When your book of shadows contains plans on defusing bombs, poison
antidotes and basic survival techniques.

6. When your circle is marked by barb-wire.

7. When you have to ride an ATV or HumVee to get to the Covenstead.

8. When you use an artillery shell casing for your God symbol.

9. When you take down a tent to move the Covenstead.

10. When your familiar is either a Doberman, Rotweiller or German Shepherd.

11. When you use a hubcap for a scrying dish.

12. When you use teargas to smudge when doing banishings.

13. When your goddess symbol is Tank Girl.

14. When 1st degree training includes Ninjisu or other forms of martial arts.

15. When your circle name is Spike, Slash, Ripcord, Hawkeye, Bubba, or
anything that ends with 'ster'.

16. When you use machine gun fire to cast your circle.

17. Instead of using an acorn or pine cone, you use a hand grenade for a
God symbol (if there isn't an artillery shell available).

18. When you use a compass for a divination tool.

19. When you use a bullet on a string for a pendulum.

20. When you call your High Priest "Commander", and your High Priestess as "General" or "Bitch Queen".

2002-10-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

Fine, then starve!

French farmer fined for GM crop damage

I’ve read about this guy and his stunts before. I have one thing to say to this moron, “If you don’t like it, don’t eat it, stupid” I hate tomatoes, but have never raided my neighbor’s yards in the dead of night to squash love-apples beneath my feet. I can say truthfully that I’m not too crazy about GM foods for myself. I worked in the health food industry for several years and eating organic not only made me feel better, but most of it tasted better as well. Still. There are limits. It is not fair to punish the hungry of the world for stupid principles that inevitably involve “preserving Mother Earth”. If there is one thing I’ve learned it is that ecosystems are much more resilient than the tree-huggers would lead a person to believe. All throughout history this can be seen. It is one of the main catalysts for evolution and adaptation. Plants and animals adapt, though sometimes the short-term impact can be drastic, even devastating. The long-term balances out, though not always as we think it should. But I digress…This guy, along with a few of his supporters, need to be packed off to a nice remote location with some available farmland. Give them a nice supply of organic corn, bean and vegetable seeds, maybe a couple of free-range turkeys or cows for the meat eaters in the group and leave ‘em. Then I’d start taking bets on how quickly they’d come running back to civilization. It wouldn’t take most of these high and mighty activists very long to puss out because farming is incredibly hard work. Many of my family members still farm and I can think of few jobs that require as much tenacity and backbreaking labor even using modern equipment and methods. Organic farming is even more difficult; I did it on a small scale myself for several years and the general rule for organic is more labor produces less yield. This is why GM crops are important. Food can keep longer, be grown larger, harvested more often, etc. It’s not perfect, but it is far from the mad science the Greenies would have us believe.

2002-10-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

The eco-freaks are at it again

This is turning out to be a banner day for CNN. Their cup runneth over with mindless idiocy and I have an entire afternoon on my hands. What fun!

People use 83 percent of land surface: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Humans take up 83 percent of the Earth's land surface to live on, farm, mine or fish, leaving just a few areas pristine for wildlife, according to a new report this week.

I’d like to point out in the paragraph above, it says “fish”. Last time I checked, most fish were in de sea, with the exception being those pesky Snakeheads that threatened to take over the worlds waterways not too long ago.

The few remaining wild areas include the northern forests of Alaska, Canada and Russia; the high plateaus of Tibet and Mongolia; and much of the Amazon River Basin.

There’s a reason for that, bobo. It’s because it’s cold in Alaska, Canada and Russia and there’s not much in the way of a nightlife. If it involves a lot of climbing, your average human isn't going to be too gung-ho about populating the plateaus of Tibet, either. As for the Amazon, there are too many big bugs, poisonous snakes, and other creepy stuff dwelling there to make it appealing to the masses. Besides, if it remains feasible, it would be nice to hang on to whatever is left of the rainforests for as long as we can.

Antarctica and a few Arctic land patches were not included in the study because of the lack of data and near absence of human influences, said Malanding Jaiteh, senior staff associate at CIESIN.

How I love the massaging of statistics. I guess that Antarctica doesn’t count as land. I thought the point of this article was to show how much of the total surface of the earth we evil humans were exploiting. Besides, Antarctica can't stay frozen forever, right?

2002-10-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Charmed Rant

I have an essay in the works on Sabrina The Teenage Witch vs. The Charmed Ones, but it’s tuning into a rather lengthy project. So, in the meantime, here’s a little complaint from the desk of The Militant Pagan:

Dear Charmed Ones:

Ladies, get yer clothes on. Ye Gods, if I had been blessed with even a tiny fraction of your collective good looks, I doubt I would be wasting my time trying to concoct silly potions and chasing down demons. The cornerstone of my religion would doubtless be the mall down the street where I would pay homage to the most revered goddess, Shoppalotta. Just leave your gold card on her altar and her helpful servants will see that she receives your offering in a timely fashion.

And on the subject of potions; never, ever mix plant with animal matter. Besides, eye of newt is like, so last century. All the cool kids are now using a combination of frog toenails, tiger spit and Lipton tea for all their banishing and exorcising needs. Remember the Eye of Newt/Burdock combo? As I recall, it rather neatly blew up most of your attic. A basic knowledge of chemistry would not go amiss with you three. As for your fashion sense, nothing says, “I’m a witchy witch” more than blue jeans and a tee shirt or tank top. Try to refrain from items that leave nothing to the imagination. There’s sexy and then there are you three. Remember that and maybe you won’t have men holding conversations with your boobs so often.

I have only one more thing to say to you Charming young witches; get back into the broom closet whydoncha! And while you’re there, see if you can find something not quite so slutty to parade around in. People might take you and your magic more seriously if you didn’t look like strippers.

Sincerely,

The Militant Pagan

2002-10-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

The Little Green Men Are Coming; Dust Off Your Tinfoil Hat

Okay, try not to laugh too hard at this. The Militant Pagan is not responsible for brain hemorrhages resulting in massive laughter. Nor will I be held accountable for damage to monitors, keyboards or other computer components resulting in sipping coffee while reading the following headline. From the brilliant reporters at CNN:

Clinton aide slams Pentagon's UFO secrecy

I know, I know. I wish I could take credit, but the headline is straight from CNN. Some days these people practically beg for ridicule. Never underestimate the entertainment value of the media.

One of the most mysterious cases, the Kecksburg, Pennsylvania incident of December 5, 1965, is the first cited in the group's request for records through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Despite an official government story that the object was a meteorite, some eyewitnesses claimed that a military truck took an acorn-shaped object the size of a small car from the rural Pennsylvania crash site to an Air Force base in Ohio.

Yeah, and meteorites are always spherical in shape with pockmarks at the appropriate intervals. But it takes another four paragraphs to get to the really good stuff:

Backed by the Sci-Fi channel, the CFI Coalition for Freedom of Information hopes to reduce the scientific ridicule factor in this country when the topic is UFOs.

Hey, at least I take it seriously. Why, just last week I was taken aboard a craft, where I was probed. I’m not gonna tell you where though, ‘cause I’m too much of a lady.

"The Sci-Fi channel has had an interest in [UFOs] for some time. The difference here is that they are focusing attention on the serious, factual side of the issue, and that scientists have not had a chance to thoroughly examine it,"
"Of course it could help programming. But Sci-Fi thought they had some resources they could bring to the table."

Hmm. I seem to remember a new series “Taken” that is premiering on Sci-Fi rather soon. Nah. Must be a coincidence.

Click on the link above and read the whole thing. It’s a good diversion for an afternoon coffee break.

2002-10-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Neat

During my trip to Oklahoma, I made a nifty discovery, The Red Dirt Soap Company.
They offer a full range of handmade soaps, body oils and bath salts, not to mention some other goodies. This is the place to go if you want body products that won't tear up your skin and leave you smelling nice. The prices are very reasonable - $5 for a bar of soap -that'll last much longer than what you can buy in the grocery store. A great place for early Christmas/Hannukah/Solstice shopping without the pretensiousness of a place like Bath and Body Works. Also, winter is almost here (at least in Denver) and it is officially bath season. Go check them out.

2002-10-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Fisking Greenpeace

I've decided to boldly go where no blogger has gone before...taking apart Greenpeace. This was mainly for fun and practice, and I am no war strategist by any stretch of the word. If you like it, let me know. If you hate it, tell me about it. I like mail! Still working on the comments thing, and hopefully those will be up by the end of the week. In the meantime, here's my email: themilitantpagan-at-yahoo-dot-com. Enjoy!!

The weapon is the enemy
Why attacking Iraq will not solve the problem of Weapons of Mass Destruction

What did we learn from the cold war, the disarmament movement of the last three decades, and the intricate history of arms control?

Hmmm....lemme think. That having the bigger guns, bombs, etc, not to mention more of them has kept the U.S. from being turned into one big smoking crater between Mexico and Canada?

What we should have learned is this:

As the scent of patrouli, grass and body odor gently wafts up from the esteemed idiotarian pulpit.

The development, production and use -- or threatened use – of nuclear weapons is a vicious cycle. Weapons of mass destruction don't buy greater security. They don't bring stability. Mutually Assured Destruction didn't end the cold war. The escalation of nuclear arsenals stopped when the perception of hostility and threat was diminished, buffered by a global perception of the moral and political limitations of nuclear weapons as tools of diplomacy.

Diplomacy? Not in my book. There's nothing diplomatic about holding on to the Bomb, regardless of who you are. It's all about intimidation, baby. As for morals, I think that has less to do with it than wanting to unleash massive destruction over much of the planet. Tit-for-tat is a marvelous incentive for behaving oneself.

It's especially important that we remember those lessons now, as the world community ponders a war which is allegedly against weapons of mass destruction.

Riiiight. Allegedly. No proof of anything dangerous in Iraq. Nothing to see here folks, move along. Oh, those canisters of gas? We're working on a new sustainable fuel that emits sunshine and rainbows instead of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Smallpox? Not in a million years. That’s an ancient folk remedy that our weaponologists, I mean, scientists are working on to cure world hunger.

War on Iraq would bring enormous financial benefit to western oil interests, and we remain convinced that US strategy is not only about routing terrorism or stopping weapons of mass destruction but also about dominating fossil fuel supplies.. But let's take, for the moment, the argument on its own merit, that the US is going after Iraq out of fear of the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and particularly nuclear weapons.

Yup. The only real reason we're sending our children, friends and family members out to risk dying in some God-forsaken desert is for oil. Never mind that the people that work in the oil industry have family in the military too. We know they're all a bunch of fur-wearing, meat-eating capitalists. Fight the Man, man!

Greenpeace has opposed the development, production and use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction since its inception more than 30 years ago. The testing and production of nuclear weapons has already wreaked havoc on ecosystems and human health; the use of nuclear weapons by accident or through conflict could spell -- at best -- severely radioactive sacrifice zones with many thousands of people affected, or at its worst -- the end of our planet's ability to sustain life as we know it.

And for 30 years, Greenpeace in one way or another has been ridiculed by those with more than two brain cells to rub together. Anyhow, last time I checked, the sun still rose in the morning and it would take a hell of a lot more than nukes to literally destroy the planet. Make parts of it uninhabitable, sure, but Mother Earth is one tough bitch, morons; remember the dinosaurs? Got wiped out by a meteor and ice age and surprise! The planet is still here and capable of sustaining life quite well, thank you.

We believe that nuclear disarmament by all nations is a fundamental prerequisite of a sustainable future for Earth in the 21st century. It is therefore imperative that the international community - including the Bush Administration -tackle the question of nuclear proliferation and nuclear disarmament in a coherent manner.

That pesky international community thingie again. Now, if it's so important that everyone disarm, why pick on the U.S., the freest nation on earth? How’s about at least taking time to bitch about the nations who enslave 50% of their population, in addition to developing very nasty weapons, both nuclear and chemical that could easily raze the planet you purport to protect? Oh, nevermind…that’s unilateralism and it’s all about oil. Silly me.

A full-scale attack on the nation of Iraq for seeking to acquire nuclear weapons would be without precedent. The US did not threaten to attack Israel, India or Pakistan for acquiring nuclear weapons.

Israel is our friend, and the only democracy in the Middle East surrounded on all sides by hostile nations, some more so than others. India is sort of a democracy, and though awful things still go on there (genital mutilation and wife burning springs to mind) they did not ram jumbo jets into our skyscrapers, killing thousands. India could use a lot of work, but they’re not threatening us at the present moment. Pakistan, eh, I’m not a fan of coups, but right now, Pakistan is basically cooperating with us. Pakistan needs some work as well (ok, a lot of work) but we’ll worry about them later, if need be. In the meantime, we’ll keep a close eye on ‘em.

There are three military strategies available to prevent proliferation: counter-proliferation strikes, nuclear deterrence, and military assault to create a "regime change". All are flawed.

News flash: Nothing is perfect. Utopia is flawed as well, you counter-culture twits. Human nature tends to muck it up rather well. All of the above three have proven to be very effective in keeping this nation intact and those $90 designer sandals on your feet and plenty of tofu in your fridge, so sit down, smoke some banana peels (organic, of course) and watch a little PBS. That ought to make you feel better.

. Military counter-proliferation -- the Israeli strike on Iraq's Osirak reactor in 1981 is an example -- may deal temporarily with the technical manifestations of proliferation,yet it raised the very tensions which drive weapons programs in the first place. They're also only as good as the intelligence they're based on. In the case of Iraq, the IAEA dismantled a clandestine programme to obtain nuclear weapons; the threat of a military counter-proliferation response from the US has apparently failed to deter Iraq from further attempts to reinstate the programme

I guess you can’t teach a mad, murderous dictator new tricks, huh? Nice little Saddam should have gotten the message the first time, but he didn’t. Perhaps that’s why we need to go and take out his capability to make and deliver these nasty little packages of death to our shores. Just a hunch…

If nuclear deterrence was a viable strategy, it would be working now. In Cold War logic, deterrence would dictate that Iraq -- or any other state -- would be cowed by the overwhelming superiority of the US nuclear arsenal and military machine. This clearly isn't the case. For a regime facing destruction whether it uses a nuclear weapon or not, even a single nuclear strike is easily rationalised as legitimate self-defence, and an appropriate response against a nuclear-armed aggressor. Can the US successfully disarm Iraq by invading the country, taking over its infrastructure, and placing a puppet regime in power? Possibly. Will a regime change bring peace to the region and deter other states or agents from pursuing weapons of mass destruction? Of course not. Quite the opposite.

Deterrence still seems to be keeping Saddy in check somewhat. He knows that if he launched a nuke right now, we’d turn Iraq into a big sheet of glass, but, he’s also insane and the day is probably not too far off when he’ll decide that it doesn’t matter what happens to him just so long as he can strike at The Great Satan. He’s just not ready yet…

Take Iran. It's a country with a chequered history of relations with the US, but is currently counted as a friend in the declared "war on terrorism." It's politically inconvenient for the US to notice at the moment that Iran is also moving swiftly toward nuclear capability, just as it was politically inconvenient for the US to note Saddam Hussein's use of biological weapons against his own people in a different time. To Iran, the lesson of an invasion on Iraq will be to ensure the swift development of its own weapons of mass destruction, and to develop them while America is focused elsewhere.

Point there. We screwed up, but we’re capitalists and we tend to do whatever it takes to keep this nation afloat. Mostly we’re pretty moral about it, but we’re not perfect. That is all the more reason to get in there and right some of the wrongs that the U.S. contributed to directly and indirectly over the past few decades. Iran, once again, keep and eye on ‘em, help them with their revolution if needs be and worry about them if they show signs of future aggression. It’s like a dog worrying over a bone with the Iran issue.

Military strategies will not succeed. A toolbox of responses is required, but clearly the first and fundamental question is one of leadership and political will. President Bush has said that the real issue in Iraq is not the acceptance of UN weapons inspectors, but verifiable disarmament. This is true. The problem is the enormous inconsistency of such a statement coming from the possessor of more then six thousand nuclear warheads.

Okay….the U.S. isn’t scheming to put the entire world under its thumb (contrary to what the extreme left seems to believe) but we do have morals and principals. The UN is a joke; and Gaddafi is in the club now, what does that say for the organization’s credibility? Last time I checked, the U.S. hadn’t lobbed any nukes towards Mecca, so stop acting like we’re the monsters here. As was pointed out, we certainly have the capability to do so, but we choose not to. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is something this nation still believes in, even if most of the rest of the world still doesn’t get it. That’s one reason why we’re not impelled to go out and blow everything to kingdom come. We could if we wanted to, though.

The formal non-proliferation regime has been undermined year after year by the "official" nuclear weapon states, which by their behaviour clearly show they believe nuclear weapons are necessary for their security. The nuclear weapons states have effectively thumbed their noses at the United Nations and international agreements with an alacrity equal to that of Iraq's.

Once again, most of those nations are not threatening us directly. We’ll get to them later if we must.

The US and the other "official" nuclear weapon states have legal obligations to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. They should be leading by example. Instead, the US Senate has refused to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The Bush administration has undermined the proposed verification protocol of the Biological Weapons Convention. And arms control with Russia has devolved into politically convenient bilateral deal-making rather than transparent, legally binding and verifiable disarmament agreements that actually destroy nuclear weapons.

We don’t have to do anything. National security comes first, bobo. Leading by example in a time of war is suicide. Someone pass the asprin, this is getting painfully stupid.

The Bush Administration cannot reinforce the non-proliferation norm by edict. It cannot act with any credible authority to eliminate the weapons of mass destruction of others without addressing its own. The case against these weapons must be a moral one, not a strategically convenient one.

Cannot say it enough: it is suicidal to try to take the moral high ground while losing national security. See above.

Second, diplomacy. Pressure from other Arab states as well as western countries is clearly important, particularly as a contribution to a more effective and positive US Middle East policy. Solving the Palestinian issue is a necessary prerequisite for any movement by Israel to join negotiations on weapons of mass destruction in the region. The US can play a key role in resolving that conflict.

And I’m sure that the Arab states, many of which openly and actively support terrorism and spew hatred from their mosques are going to be more than willing to link arms and get chummy with The Great Satan. What color is the sky in your little world? And should Israel ever put their weapons aside, their fledgling nation would be wiped off the map in a matter of days; much to the delight of the Islamists and of course, Greenpeace.

Thirdly, containment followed by engagement. Continued pressure on Iraq must include a comprehensive approach to the problem of the proliferation of nuclear technology and know-how, particularly but not exclusively from Russia. There must be a containment of the feasibility of the weapons programme. But there must also be a containment of the ambition behind it. Furthermore effective measures need to be taken to stop the spread of weapons usable material ,and technology, thus further reducing the threat.

So, we’re supposed to be the morality police, limiting a nation’s drive and ambition and telling them what to think? And how exactly do you propose we do that? Gather up Saddam and all his muckety-mucks, sit them around the campfire and sing protest songs? Maybe make a nifty tie-dye for Uday?

Ultimately, what we need is a new theory of deterrence when it comes to nuclear weapons. At its root, deterrence is and always has been a matter of perception: the perception of threat, imagined response, and a close calculation of exactly what either of two combatants believe they can get away with.

Theories do not win wars, action does. As for psyching your opponent out, it is a very useful tactic when used properly, but we don’t want to become the little boy who cried wolf, either. Talk is cheap.

Morality and what's deemed acceptable behaviour by states and their leaders is also a perception, and one which changes over time. As we move toward a globalisation of civil society, we need to build a world-wide moral deterrence against the possession of nuclear weapons. The cornerstone of any state's claim to moral authority, and any leader's, must be based on their accountability to civil society. They must abide by global agreements for the global good, they must conform to the most global definitions of acceptable behaviour.

Under the UN, no doubt, will we find the new codes for acceptable behavior and morality. I’m sure the ICC is for the global good as well, though it is in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution. Oh, that’s right, the U.S. is bad, so we need the UN to govern us. Silly Americans; and here we thought we could govern ourselves.

The ability of a state to exert its will upon the world community should be measured in its demonstrable commitment to the common benefit of that community. The authority of its leaders, at home and abroad, must rest in a new, global and inclusive definition of the public trust. That would mean nuclear weapon states would commit to, and begin, the process of eliminating their nuclear weapons in the certain knowledge that such weapons are incompatible with sane and sustainable security policies from a global perspective.

Sounds pretty socialistic to me…across the board rules for everyone equals slavery. Heck, I’m sure few of us in the U.S. would mind giving up our freedoms to make sure everyone in the world is happy, safe, and gets a warm glass of milk each night before Gaddafi tucks them in.

Any state thinking about acquiring nuclear weapons would have to be deterred by the strength of global repugnance -- at both the state and individual levels, to the acquisition of nuclear weapons. Any leader driving a state in that direction must know that they will face a credible worldwide outrage,untainted by hypocritical inconsistencies, and with a moral authority that will be daunting to their futures as leaders, domestically and abroad. This moral outrage needs to be effectively backed by agreed obstacles and sanctions that can be applied in an impartial and objective manner.

Drivel. Next!

It is evident that the Bush Administration is unenthusiastic about the use of multilaterialism in general and the United Nations in particular as tools for conflict resolution, preferring instead to use its military power to ensure that its strategic objectives are met. This is perhaps the biggest challenge for the international community of the 21st century. We can no longer afford to continue as a planet made up of self-interested nations and national leaders. A world in peril needs world leaders, accountable to the needs and moral imperatives of our common future.

Self-interest = bad. Self-loathing = good. And, in case you missed it, the U.S. is the biggest “challenge” for the world community in the 21st century. And yet, people continue to immigrate here to start a new life with a better future. Bad, bad, U.S., shining the light at the end of the tunnel. Shame on us.

If every inhabitant of Earth were a voter, what future would nuclear weapons have in a global plebiscite on their elimination?

Moot point. Most of the world is non-democratic, so most aren’t voters. Also, democratic nations have a legal age as well as residency requirements to vote in elections. Nitwits, morons, retards.

2002-10-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

From the You've Got to Be Kidding Dept.

From the esteemed blog of Mr Lileks I have swiped this little tidbit:

“I pledge allegiance to our Earth,
(the planet on which we live).
And to fresh air, pure water, healthy dirt,
life-giving plants and all the animals!
One Earth - four oceans - seven continents -
thousands of lakes and rivers!
And I accept my duty to be an honorable
citizen of this Earth, with respect and
consciousness towards all.”

Um, like what were these people smoking when they wrote this? As a Pagan, environmental stewardship is very important to me, but it can only go so far. I am an American first, and though I am not crazy about God being in the Pledge, I have always said the Pledge with pride, though I worship the Goddess. It's all semantics. We do not need a pledge to the planet, though we do need to be good custodians of it. Most environmental orginizations leave a bad taste in my mouth and a foul smell in the air. Their political agenda almost always involves the whole "Mother Earth" ideology. Just in case there are any rabid lefties out there reading this, lemme tell you something: Mother Earth is one tough bitch, and it's a big universe out there, folks. If we ever want to get off of this rock, we need to use our resources responsibly, and yes, this means...ooooiiiiillllll. It seems to me that these idiots want cars that run off of rainbows and emit sunshine, but if they're so anti-pollution, they should get bicycles. Oops, I forgot..the tires of the bicycle are made of rubber bonded and treated with various petroleum products. Maybe they should walk..my bad...those shoes, even their precious Birkenstocks, are made of pretty much the same thing. How do these people keep their sanity? It makes me a little nutty just trying to keep up with them.

2002-10-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Back from the Bible Belt
Oh so glad to be back. I had intended blogging to be lite, not non-existent. Oh well. I was away last week on a business trip to scenic Bartlesville, OK. For those who have never had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour SmallTown America, I proudly present:

You know you're in the Bible Belt when...

1. All the preachers are on the low channels.
2. In a town of 35,000 most churches are built to accomodate 2,000-3,000 parishoners (sp) at a whack.
3. The hotel you stay in is booked up with old folks from Tulsa (the "big" city, as I was told) on a church field trip.
4. The entire town rolls up the sidewalks at 5:30PM.
5. Conversations overheard in the office are usually to the effect of, "They must be sitting on the other side of the church. I've never seen him/her before.
6. You can throw a stone in any direction, blindfolded, drunk (if you can find a bar, I counted 1) and half-asleep and knock out a couple of stained glass windows.
7. On your way into town, you see several signs giving detailed directions, ie, take a right, go 1/2 mile back, hang a left at the ash tree, turn a cartwheel, run 50 yards to the front door, knock 5 times, hold your breath, and recite the Lord's Prayer backwards... to get to various houses of worship.
8. Two words: Tent Revival.
9. The Jehovah's Witnesses' church is on the outskirts of town.
10. Everyone you meet is white and has a funny accent.

Did I mention that I was there to train the person who is stealing my job? Yay for C.A. They lay me off, but not before wringing every last drop of blood from my pale, twitching corpse. Sorry, I'm bitter today. Got a couple of other things in the works, but now I must get to the work I couldn't do last week. Stay tuned...

2002-10-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Out of town

I will be out of town for the next week, so blogging will be lite. Apologies to those who stopped by in these early stages as I have many fine postings in the works, but one cannot fight the will of Almighty Corporate America. So, it's off to Oklahoma to a very small town that rolls up the sidewalks at sundown. I'm sure I'll be able to dig up some funny material from my trip as I am something of a big-city girl and detest spending any length of time in a town that has more churches than grocery stores and movie theatres combined. So, stay tuned as I will be making an attempt at "Fisking". My first victim will be those drooling idiots from Greenpeace (I figured I should start out with something simple, and who is simpler than those communist eco-freaks?) Also on the table is Sabrina vs. The Charmed Ones or Low vs High Magick; who would win? In the meantime, please check out my few links to the left.

2002-10-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Herb of the Week

I am going to try to make this a regular feature, and hopefully when I figure out comments hosting, I can gather a little feedback from the people who may have popped into this site. In the meantime, please direct comments, complaints, concerns and criticism to themilitantpagan-at-yahoo-dot-com. Seeing as how we are moving towards flu season, this week I will focus on Echinacea. For those not familiar with this wonderful plant, you can find a picture of it here

Basic Medicinal Properties:

Echinacea is used primarily as an immune system booster as it possesses both anti-biotic and ant-virual properties. It is non-toxic, so it is safe for children, the elderly, even pets in some cases. All parts of the plant are used, with the most common part being the root. While there are several different species of Echinacea, for the novice starting out any species will work well. The basic recipe that I use is equal parts Echinacea root mixed well with Ginger (root). Not only does this greatly improve the flavor of the tea, but Ginger works to make the active components in Echinacea more bioavailable and therefore increases its effectiveness. Typically, the root portions of any plant are boiled for 15-20 minutes (decoction) but, this can be prepared by steeping for approximately 10-12 minutes(strong infusion). Make sure that the water is as close to boiling as possible before adding the preparation. Honey can be used as a sweetener if desired. This simple little formula has helped me kick several bouts of winter crud before it took hold, so you will have your best luck using this if you start taking it before you find yourself knocking back a bottle of NyQuil every day for a week.

Too busy to mix tea, you say? No problem. Both Traditional Medicinals and Celestial Seasonings make fine cold & flu teas. Traditional Medicinals seems to know a bit more what they're about, though, and their teas work wonders. I will post the links as soon as I have a moment to track down their websites.

Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I provide this information for reference and fun only. What you do with the info above is your business. When in doubt, don't take it! Do not substitute the above herbal preparation for a doctor's care and supervision. I don't want my InBox overflowing with links to the local obits and harassing calls from some dumb idiot who wants to sue me. Besides, you can't get blood from a stone. Thanks.

2002-10-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

Charming

CNN has now posted a handy-dandy tidbit
of information on Tarot cards. You'll have to click in the little gray box titled "Tarot cards" to view it. Naturally, the information contained within tells even the average person basically nothing about Tarot that would be helpful or of interest. Note the background in the pop-up window. Want to take a guess what card they have there? Did I mention how stupid the media is regarding these matters?

2002-10-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Bad Profiling?

I've been itching to blog on this, and seeing as how many learned souls in the Blogosphere have tackled the ballistics side, I'll take a swipe the Tarot card evidence that was reported left at the scene (from my comment at Rantburg):

This whole "this guy is into New Age" seems highly unlikely to me. The Death card is not indicitive of death, rather a paradigm shift. The Devil, The Aeon, or Judgement would be the appropriate card(s) if this individual had proper working knowledge of anything metaphysical. Naturally, the media has taken this detail and ran with it, but IMHO, this evidence was either planted by someone, the guy isn't even 1/4 as smart as everyone seems to think he is, or he left it to confuse and/or make an attempt at a wholly inaccurate statement that ultimately has nothing to do with the taking of a life. The media is glaringly ignorant of all things related to so-called alternative religions, so I wouldn't suggest buying into much of their crap. And if the FBI, CIA et al are using this as part of the profile, they may be barking up the wrong tree, though possibly in the right forest.

It has been my experience that every time a Tarot card, Rune, Pentagram, etc, shows up at a crime scene, the media pounces on it. It's old, it's tired, and it gets people all scared and the next thing you know, they're huddling around a bonfire with a couple of Harry Potter books to feed to the flames. As noted above, this guy is more than likely not involved in an alternative religion. He may have gotten the idea from a movie, book or some similar source; not and I repeat not, from being a student of the Tarot. It's details like this that the media takes, inflates and gives folks like me something of a bad name. Really, do you think that if a Bible were found, the profilers would cry out that he's a Jerry Falwell clone? While this will hopefully provide fingerprints, DNA or some other clue, I think that at least this part of the current profile is totally wrong.

2002-10-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

House version of the RAVE act to be introduced:

It amazes me that this thing has gotten as far as it has. The Senate passed this piece of junk back a couple of months ago, and now the House has drafted their own version. Please write, call, fax and email your representatives and tell them to trash this thing. If we let this pass, kiss a few more of your precious civil liberties goodbye.
RAVE Act Information

2002-10-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

CNN idiocy of the day: Be afraid, be veeery afraid!!
CNN has been discussed by those far my intelligent than myself as being about the stupidest news service out there. So, in honor of their overwhelming bias and amateur scare tactics, here is the story of the day. Remember, only YOU can prevent terrorism (by going shopping to prop up the economy, of course)
more tapes
were found from Al-Queda, possibly verifying the rumors that Bin Laden is still alive. Personally, I think if he's not spattered all over the walls of some cave in Afghanistan, he's probably pushing up daisies. Enjoy the story.

2002-10-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

As most of my blogging will be done from work, I am electing to focus on CNN and general personal commentary. My company keeps their security very tight, so if you need the in-depth, good stuff from the big boys, please check out the links to the left.

2002-10-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

Excellent... the linking problem is solved! Perhaps I will learn a bit of actual useful HTML by maintaining this blog.

2002-10-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

Alright, gentle readers *crickets chirping* bear with me...I'm having problems figuring out this whole linking thing so I can list the blogs I like. If you got lost and wandered over here, the Google link to the left will get you back to some sort of normal.

2002-10-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how everyone and their dog is doing it, I figured I'd give this a shot. Promise much more to come later on. In the meantime, please check out the link above.

2002-10-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

this is a test