Queen Anne's Revenge

WWII Propaganda Posters

2009-07-01T06:00:00.001-07:00

Well looky what I found while aimlessly surfing the net. These (except the Uncle Sam one) are old World War 2 posters urging people to work, work, work. The Tokio Kid posters are particularly racist and offensive, yet oddly fascinating. I think there were sixteen in all, created and distributed by Douglas Aircraft. The government liked them so much it took over distribution and also used the character to advertise war bonds.

I have to ask myself who benefits from these posters. I hope the posters did what they appear to have been intended to do, which is motivate people to work together to make the war situation the least bad possible... But maybe, just maybe, a few manipulative employers benefited too.

New York New York Casino Sculpture

2009-05-31T23:40:00.001-07:00

This raised relief sculpture graces a wall of the New York New York casino near the Starbucks stand. He looks beautiful and classic... until you realize hes holding several big, comical ice cream cones.

FW: Multimedia message

2009-05-20T05:47:00.001-07:00

Song of the week:
She Caught The Katy from the opening credits of the movie The Blues Brothers.

-- She caught the Katy
And left me a mule to ride.
She caught the Katy
And left me a mule to ride.
She caught the Katy, left me a mule to ride.
When the train pulled out I swung on behind.
Crazy about her
That hard headed woman of mine. --

It sounds like an old-timey blues song but it was actually written in 1979 or 1980 by blues/jazzman Taj Mahal.
I seem to have a problem creating links to Youtube for some reason, but you could probably Google the song if you want to.

So who or what is the Katy? Its our History Fact of the week:
Katy means KT, the nickname and stock market symbol for MKT - the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, operating from 1870 to 1988. Oh, the amazing things that railroad must have seen.
http://www.katyrailroad.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri-Kansas-Texas_Railroad

And since one thing always leads to another, follow this link
http://www.unmuseum.org/crash.htm
for the Publicity Stunt Gone Wrong of the week:
Its the story of how William Crush, an employee of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway got a town named after him (which was the second biggest town in Texas for one day), crashed the two trains pictured above into each other, caused three deaths, got fired, and was rehired the next day.

The Week In Review

2009-03-15T10:15:00.001-07:00

Weirdness of the week: peeing on the Berlin Wall! This is a picture of a mens restroom Bubba and Dinky used in the Main Street Station casino in Las Vegas, where we had a pricey but delicious buffet dinner. The wall is an imported chunk of the Berlin Wall, with original graffiti preserved and plaques over the urinals describing what it is.

Disappointment of the week: the guy Ive had a secret crush on for a long time (lets call him Manager Hottie) has been transferred to another store. Aw, such a shame. :(

Holidays of the week:
- Saturday was Pi Day... March 14 = 3.14 ...get it? So we contemplated math and ate some pie to celebrate. I know, such nerds. Haha!

- Be sure to wear green Tuesday for Saint Patricks Day to avoid being pinched. Personally I dont understand the importance of the holiday in the U.S., or why people who are obviously not Irish pretend to be Irish for a day... but my Store Manager is really into it and has asked us to wear green, so it couldnt hurt to play along.

- March 20th will be the Vernal Equinox for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Daylight and darkness hours will be equal marking the first day of Spring. Yay Spring!

Question of the week: commenting on an old blog post -Time To Heal After A Breakup-
http://seriouspost.blogspot.com/2007/08/time-to-heal-after-breakup.html
Jay asked, if youre interested in someone who is healing from a breakup but they say they need time, what can you do to help them heal? Unfortunately Im not sure anything really helps but time, though I think being friends first makes it easier than starting out as a romantic couple. What do you think?

Song of the week: Come Together.

Click the link for the John Lennon version:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DD1rZfC67Jc8&v=D1rZfC67Jc8

Click the link for the Aerosmith version:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DS3jWESj-Lkw&v=S3jWESj-Lkw

This song is stuck in my head this week, and the John Lennon version is far superior, IMHO.

Musical Cops

2009-03-11T04:41:00.001-07:00

Its been a while since Ive seen something truly weird in Las Vegas. That scares me because I wonder if Im starting to get so used to this place that its weirdness seems normal.

This is what my boys saw yesterday morning. Im sorry I missed it, I was at work.

Bubba and Dinky were getting ready for school. Bubba heard a ruckus outside and peeked his head out the door to see what was happening. It was (I promise Im not making this up) a police car cruising slowly down the the street, blaring the theme from Star Wars over its loud speaker. You know, the dramatic one where you see all the stormtroopers. Bubba started laughing hysterically.

Some time later, out in the street walking to school, Bubba and Dinky spotted the cop car slowly cruising by again... this time blasting Ride Of The Valkyrie out of their loud speakers. The officers were looking quite serious and authoritative. Bubba and Dinky were just beside themselves with laughter. The cops seemed offended and gave them a dirty look, which of course did nothing to stop the laughter.

Im really curious to know what those cops were doing. Between this and the miniature parade I saw one night
http://seriouspost.blogspot.com/2008/10/this-week-so-far.html
(and thats only the stuff I know about) Im beginning to suspect the cops in Vegas are just as nutty as everyone else here.

Happy New Year For Trees

2009-02-09T10:42:00.001-08:00

Happy Tu B-Shevat, the Jewish New Year For Trees. Today is the birthday of all trees. Click the link to find out how that works. http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday8.htm

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch...

2009-01-18T22:19:00.001-08:00

Here is the fun factoid for the day. Ever wonder where the expression
- Meanwhile, back at the ranch... -
came from?

-The Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins- by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on Files, New York, 1997) says: meanwhile, back at the ranch. An expression that originated as a movie caption in the silent film era at the beginning of the century, these words are used humorously today when someone wants to get back to a story after going off on a tangent.

From -Listening to America- by Stuart Berg Flexner (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1982): Subtitles. Silent films required some dialogue or explanatory words, which beginning around 1907, appeared on separate frames at appropriate places in the story. These were called captions until around 1913, then were called screen titles or subtitles..Before 1913 they were not even written for individual movies but were often taken from a limited supply of stock rolls, so that certain subtitles were used over and over as, -That night-, -A year has passed-, and -Wedding bells-. At least two of these stock subtitles from silent films entered the general language as cliches and are still in use: -Comes the dawn- (originally written to be used literally) and -Meanwhile, back at the ranch-.The nickelodeon could also use such stock frames to make announcements to the audience, the best-remembered such line, thrown upon the screen before the movie started, being: -Ladies,
we like your hats, but please remove them-, with the men being advised: -You would not spit on the floor at home. Do not do it here.-

According to Wikipedia, the expression came from radio shows and 1950s Western films.

The song -Stranded In The Jungle- (1956) by The Cadets, also known as The Jacks, is only somewhat related but still a fun song. I hope the link works.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dr0AxZySu4RU&v=r0AxZySu4RU&warned=1&client=mv-google&gl=US&hl=en

And Now For Something Funny...

2009-01-10T10:02:00.001-08:00

This little bit of silliness was sent to me by a friend. Now Im blog-sending it to you. Enjoy.

*****

We all know those cute little computer symbols called emoticons, where:
: ) means a smile and
: ( is a frown.

Well, how about some ASSICONS?

Here goes:

(_!_) a regular ass
(__!__) a fat ass
(!) a tight ass
(_*_) a sore ass
{_!_} a swishy ass
(_o_) an ass thats been around
(_x_) kiss my ass
(_X_) leave my ass alone
(_zzz_) a tired ass
(_E=mc2_) a smart ass
(_$_) Money coming out of his ass
(_?_) Dumb Ass

You have just been e-mooned! Send this to 5 people within the next hour and you will be blessed with people laughing at your text!

Snow In Vegas

2008-12-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

What the heck is that white stuff? Its SNOW! ...Just in case you thought its always hot in Vegas.

Can You Really Save Money By Pumping Gas At Night?

2008-07-27T12:47:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard that gasoline (like other liquids) expands when it warms up? When gasoline is cooler it is more condensed (a gallon of cold gas weighs more than a gallon of hot gas) so in effect you get slightly more gas per liquid gallon if the fuel is cold. In Canada and Hawaii, gas pumps are specially calibrated to compensate for fuel expansion due to temperature, but not so in the rest of the United States.

According to ConsumerWatchdog.org, gasoline expands at a rate of 0.069 percent per degree fahrenheit. Translated, if you buy 10 gallons, and the gas is 10 degrees cooler and costs 4 dollars per gallon, you will save about 27 cents on your 10 gallon purchase.

Still with me? Good... now heres the problem. When its 100 degrees out and you jump into a swimming pool, is the pool water also 100 degrees? Of course not. Every material has a different rate at which it absorbs heat energy. In addition, fuel tanks in gas stations are underground, insulating them pretty well from surface air temperatures and the sun. On a large scale, a few degrees can make a big difference in profits for oil companies... otherwise, why would certain places bother to calibrate gas pumps? But in your own personal tankful of gas, well... lets just say that if you consistently fill up when its cooler, you could save a little bit of money in the long run.

On a related note, since I got a tuneup and had my rusted out old exhaust system replaced, I notice that my gas mileage is a heck of a lot better. Now that makes a noticeable difference... but taking the bus or walking costs even less.

Scenes From A Bus Stop: Waiting At Dusk

2008-04-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

Scenes from a bus stop:

Hip-hop be-bop something jazzy
slides out a door on the second floor
and falls into the street.
Cops chase robbers to the beat.

Neighbors talk loudly on the corner.
-- Nigga this and Nigga that.
-- People here say that a lot, but they dont know what it means.
-- They shot Charlie with an AK.

Boys hang out a car window to get a look at a pretty girl.
She turns around and they can see, shes a very old woman with a great body that doesnt match.
Boys drive off quiet and confused.

Ah, here comes the bus.

Scenes From A Bus: What Is She Waiting For?

2008-03-28T12:23:00.001-07:00

Scenes from a bus:

She looks classy, doesnt she?
In her brown vintage suit she sits at the bus stop, but doesnt get on the bus...
With her pretty polka-dotted luggage and a trash bag of posessions by her side, she waits.

E Is For ENTERTAINMENT

2007-11-01T17:42:00.001-07:00

E is for ENTERTAINMENT

My neighbor brought his guitar outside, sat down on the stairs and started playing. Who would have guessed it, he plays well and has a fabulous voice. Soon he was the Pied Piper of children, introducing them to some wonderful old 70s tunes and even letting the kids try to play his guitar. Its nice that hes willing to share his talent with young people that way. Who knows who he might inspire?

Seizure

2007-10-06T19:58:00.001-07:00

-Breathe, Paul, just breathe. Youre o.k. Just breathe.-
A hand rubs his back while another one grips his right arm hard every time he threatens to smash his face on the nightstand. Quivering on the bedroom floor he gasps for air between seizures, then settles down into a gentle rhythmic whimpering until the next seizure begins. He probably wont remember any of it.

This morning my neighbor Barbara ran past my door screaming for help, her boyfriend was having an epileptic seizure. She told me to keep him on his side and make sure he doesnt bite his tongue. Wedged between the bed and nightstand the way he was, keeping him on his side was easy enough. About the tongue biting thing though, I just had to hope for the best, and thank my lucky stars that its probably not as common as people think. As far as I know, theres not much I could do except keep him from bumping into things, give him as much room as possible and wait it out.
Barbara told me later that no one else would help her. I dont think they knew how to help. I didnt either actually, so I asked Barbara what to do. I kept him company while she called an ambulance.

A few things stuck in my mind from this.
~ If you have a condition that will freak out your loved ones, warn them ahead of time. Your new boyfriend/girlfriend probably doesnt want to find out about your epilepsy when you fall to the floor in the supermarket.
~ No matter how well you think you know your address, consider writing it down somewhere very easy to find, in case your mind goes blank in an emergency.
~ You dont have to be an expert to help, just do what you can. My teenager fed Barbaras kids to keep them out of the way. That was a huge help.

If you have any epilepsy advice, I would love to read it.

California And The Civil War

2007-06-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

If you can stand one more Juneteenth post, then please allow me to tell you the ironic story of early California and its role in the Civil War.
Way back in the late 1700's and early 1800's, the federal government maintained a political balance between free and slave states. States were required to join the Union two at a time - one free and one slave - to keep the balance. Wisconsin, a free state, had been the most recent to join before California. That meant California would have to be admitted as a slave state. California vehemently refused to become a slave state, but was admitted into the Union anyway in 1850, throwing off the policical balance in favor of free states. The Southern states were so upset over this perceived "unfairness" that it is thought to be one of their reasons for wanting to secede from the Union, and the beginning of the Civil War eleven years later.

Here's the ironic part...
There is evidence showing that some of the founders of California did not intend to be kind, and were not against slavery in theory, but rather were so very prejudiced that they did not want any person of color in the state at all, not even as a slave. That's right, California's prejudice actually played a part in freeing the slaves!

The following is an excerpt from some old California newspapers.

The Californian of March 15, 1848, says:
“We entertain several reasons why slavery should not be introduced here. First, it is wrong for it to exist anywhere. Second, not a single instance of precedence exists at present in the shape of physical bondage of our fellow men. Third, there is no excuse whatever for its introduction into this country (by virtue of climate or physical conditions). Fourth, Negroes have equal rights to life, liberty, health and happiness with the whites. Fifth, it is every individual’s duty, to self and to society, to be occupied in useful employment sufficient to gain self-support. Sixth, it would be the greatest calamity that the power of the United States could inflict upon California. Seventh, we desire only a white population in California. Eighth, we left the slave states because we did not like to bring up a family in a miserable, can’t-help-one’s-self condition. Ninth, in conclusion we dearly love the ‘Union,’ but declare our positive preference for an independent condition of California to the establishment of any degree of slavery, or even the importation of free blacks.”

Ten days later the other local journal, The California Star, said editorially:
“While we sincerely entertain these views, and value the union with the United States as highly as we should, the simple recognition of slavery here would be looked upon as a greater misfortune to the territory than though California had remained in its former state, or were at the present crisis, abandoned to its fate. * * We believe, though slavery could not be generally introduced, that its recognition would blast the prospects of the country. It would make it disreputable for the white man to labor for his bread, and it would thus drive off to other homes the only class of emigrants California wishes to see, the sober and industrious middle-class of society. We would, therefore, on the part of 90 per cent of the population of this country, most solemnly protest against the introducing of this blight upon the prosperity of the home of our adoption. We should look upon it as an unnecessary moral, intellectual and social curse to ourselves and posterity.”

As soon as the effect of the discovery of gold began to be felt, when citizens of all ranks became diggers for the yellow metal, the introduction of slaves would have been even more vigorously opposed, and in truth, would have been plainly intolerable. The editor of the Alta California, February 22, 1849, thus states the case:

“The majority—four-fifths, we believe—of the inhabitants of California are opposed to slavery. They believe it to be an evil and a wrong * * and while they would rigidly and faithfully protect the vested rights of the South, they deem it a high moral duty to prevent its extension and aid its extinction by every honorable means.”

Walter Colton had a clear perception of the exact situation when, in the Constitutional Convention at Monterey, he affirmed:
“The causes which exclude slavery from California lie within a nutshell. All there are diggers, and free white diggers won’t dig with slaves. They know they must dig themselves; they have come out here for that purpose, and they won’t degrade their calling by associating it with slave labor. Self-preservation is the first law of nature. They have nothing to do with slavery in the abstract or as it exists in other communities * * they must themselves swing the pick, and they won’t swing it by the side of negro slaves. That is the upshot of the whole business.”

SOURCE: The Virtual Museum Of The City Of San Francisco

Wikipedia Article On Free States

The Garden Hose Incident

2007-06-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

Have you ever done something you shouldn't, and had things suddenly go spectacularly wrong?
Today I took my boys to a convenience store/gas station for cold drinks. Construction workers were remodeling the gas pump area and pouring cement. They had left a water hose with a spray nozzle lying around - the type of nozzle you squeeze and it looks sort of like a gun. I had no choice but to park my car over the hose (but not with any tires actually on it).
When we got out of the car, my 7 year old son headed straight for that hose nozzle. Before I realized what he was doing, he had squeezed it. The hose was in his hands, spraying full blast, and he couldn't turn it off. I grabbed the hose and squeezed the handle, pulled the handle, turned it to a hard spray setting, then to the fine mist setting, but I just couldn't turn it off. I sent my teenage son to turn the water off at the spigot. He turned the spigot this way and that but couldn't shut the water off. Then he just stared at me while I stood spraying copious amounts of fine mist in the gas station parking lot. I was afraid to look, but I can't help wondering if the construction workers were watching this in amusement or astonishment. My younger son finally got the spigot turned off.
We went into the store and got our snacks. When we came back to the car, two men had turned the hose back on, fixed the nozzle, wound the hose back the other way around my parked car, and were busy washing their cement mixing equipment. They stopped to give me blank stares as I fumbled for my keys and got the kids into the car for our not-so-quick getaway. All I could do was laugh. We must have looked like a bunch of nuts.

A Night At The Movies

2007-06-10T03:00:00.001-07:00

I've heard that drive-in theaters are a disappearing piece of Americana, that there aren't as many around as there used to be. If that's true, then I'm very lucky to have one close by. It's the same old corny, three-screen drive-in where I watched The Shaggy Dog and Escape From Witch Mountain with my family some thirty years ago. It's where I saw countless movies with my friends during high school. My brother would hide in the trunk to get in free. I even went there with a boy once and had no idea what was playing. Ah, good times.
I took my sons to that same drive-in theater last night on a whim. "Boys, get your shoes on. If we hurry, we can get a good spot." An hour before the movie the place was already starting to fill up. I gave the man at the gate 14 bucks and found a parking spot. Some people behind us played their radio loudly for everyone to enjoy. People set out folding chairs, and a few rows down somebody barbecued steaks. A nearby house had chairs perched on the roof so the occupants could watch for free. The boys cleaned the windshield while I ran next door to the supermarket for snacks.
Shrek The Third came on at dusk, when there was just enough sunlight left to make the screen hard to see. It got dark before we knew it and we settled in for the movie. The plot wasn't great. The same old thing - they had to stop evil Prince Charming from taking over the kingdom. But the jokes made it the funniest Shrek yet, IMO.
Next came Pirates Of The Carribean: At World's End. I always enjoy swash-buckling and martial arts movies. They get me hyped up and in the mood for action. For just a little while I feel like anything is possible. It was a pretty good movie, similar to the first two Pirates.
I drove home with my little one asleep in the back seat, and a head full of memories and hopes. Good stuff. Oh, and cheese puffs all over the floor. I'll worry about that in the morning.

The 442nd And 100th Army

2007-05-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Japanese-Americans had been treated unfairly in the United States for years, but on December 7th, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked, things suddenly became much worse. Japanese immigrants and people of Japanese descent, even those born in the United States, suddenly became classified as "enemy aliens." President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which allowed local military commanders to designate "military areas" as "exclusion zones", from which any or all persons may be excluded.
People of Japanese ancestry were not specifically mentioned, but the executive order was used nonetheless to enact curfews and relocate and imprison in internment camps approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of which were American citizens. This internment lasted for three years - from 1942 to 1945.
In Hawaii, where people of Japanese descent made up nearly half the population, imprisonment would have been almost impossible, but the people were let go from their positions in the military, and made ineligible for the draft.
Disappointed to be let go from the military, many Japanese-American soldiers volunteered to do whatever work necessary for free to help the war effort. Their dedication paid off and special all Japanese-American units, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion were formed. They were experimental, much as the all-black Tuskegee Airmen were. The 100th and 442nd did so well in training that President Roosevelt ordered more Japanese-American volunteers to be recruited, stating ironically,
"No loyal citizen of the United States should be denied the democratic right to exercise the responsibilities of his citizenship, regardless of his ancestry. The principle on which this country was founded and by which it has always been governed is that Americanism is a matter of the mind and heart; Americanism is not, and never was, a matter of race or ancestry." While the soldiers' relatives remained locked up in internment camps, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, joined by the 100th Battalion and several other small teams, fought valiantly in France and Italy, becoming the most highly decorated group of soldiers for their size and length of service. They received an average of approximately three Purple Heart medals per soldier, and were sometimes known to sneak out of hospitals to return to the front lines.
Despite their courage and dedication, when the soldiers returned home they were greeted with racism and not allowed in some stores and restaurants. The 442nd later served in Vietnam, and the 100th served in Iraq in 2004-2005.
GoForBroke.org
Katonk.com
U.S. Army Museum Of Hawaii
Wikipedia Article

Poor Topsy

2007-05-23T20:25:00.001-07:00

"'Cause I's wicked, -- I is. I's mighty wicked, anyhow, I can't help it."
These are the heart-wrenching words of Topsy, a little girl in Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous/infamous novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852). Topsy had been mistreated all her young life and told she was wicked. Human nature being what it is, poor little Topsy acted out, believed what she was told, and felt sadly certain that she was beyond help.
How many of us have been told things over and over until we start to believe them, whether by critical parents, manipulative spouses, or society?
It's hard not to become a little twisted if a parent calls you names instead of finding a more creative way of teaching you. It's hard not to start believing if a manipulative boyfriend or girlfriend constantly points out your real or perceived faults and acts as if you're lucky anyone will have you. It's nearly impossible for some of us to have a healthy self-image while society and the media flood us with messages of how we should look and what we should do.
If we're lucky we can catch the problem while we still have a shred of self-worth left and say "I've had enough." Then we can work on getting out of a bad situation, read a self-help book, talk to someone, and start to undo the damage done.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this, just that there seems to be a lot of this happening lately, all around, in many ways. If it's happening to you, never give up. Sometimes you have to work damn hard to climb out of a mental hell, but it can be, and has been done.

A Little Bit Of Civil Disobedience

2007-05-20T23:41:00.001-07:00

Did I ever tell you about the time my son's school tried to outlaw blue and red clothing? Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Who doesn't wear blue or red occasionally? Especially blue jeans. But my older son's high school oh-so-wisely decided last year that blue and red were gang colors, and were therefore prohibited. Administrators and campus cops started hauling kids in to make them change shirts if they showed up wearing the wrong color - tough kids and nerdy, obviously not in a gang kids alike.
I thought it was ridiculous. A color doesn't make a kid a gang member, and saying that it does gives power to real gangs. It makes them stand out. I looked around and saw teachers wearing red and blue. My son's Friday class spirit shirt that the school had sold me was red. The school colors and team uniforms were red, white and blue, for chrissake!
So do you know what those students did? In an amazing feat of organization, nearly every kid in that school made a point of wearing red and blue every day, while parents called the principal to complain about the color ban. Administrators were chasing kids left and right, but couldn't possibly catch them all.
The ban lasted less than a week before the school gave up and repealed it.
I was so proud of those kids. They stood up to the school and won. It was a small victory, but one that taught those kids a lesson and empowered them.

Dialogue

2007-04-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, fellow blogger Kiyotoe and I have been e-mailing back and forth about the subject of racism. As the conversation went on, it began to seem like our dialogue might make a good blog post. We saw that we (black and white people) actually have a lot more in common than we have different.
Now Kiyotoe and I invite you to eavesdrop into our conversation. We hope it will start a dialogue and help people understand each other. I'm sorry it's so long. I just couldn't figure out where to cut it in half for a Part 2.
What I wrote is in italics and Kiyotoe's words are in bold to help you tell us apart.

Hi, Kiyotoe.
I just want to say thanks for your words of wisdom on my post about "classist bloggers and unfriendly women." You're right, we all have some notions about other groups. I can't say that I am copletely without misconceptions, but at least I try to get over it when I catch myself doing it.

I was just steamed when I wrote that post, partly because of those white women at that party, huddling together looking like they were outnumbered and scared. WTF? It made me embarrassed to be considered white. (Although I'm not completely white. I have some mystery-genes in me, I'm just a tiny bit darker than most whites.)

And I was partly steamed because of a post a few days ago by this guy (who shall remain nameless). I understand he has every right to be pissed off at racists, and he should be. I am too, and I would feel it even more if I were the direct target of their bullshit. But I think (?) is way too cynical, assuming the worst of all white people. I didn't comment on his blog because I didn't know what to say. Saying "we're not all like that" sounds kind of stupid and hard to believe, doesn't it? So I just thought I would take the experience and blog about it to try to make people think about their own subtle ways of putting up walls. I didn't mention his blog by name because I didn't want to trash him. I see that he's a good person who works hard at helping the community. He tries to improve things by lifting people up, not bringing other people down. That's the opposite of what real racists do, so I have a lot of respect for what he's trying to accomplish. But he just ticked me off and made me think. Now you've calmed me down and made me think of it a different way. I'll probably blog about it once I get the thoughts straight in my head.

Thanks, brother. :)
Anne

Anne,
Yeah, you sounded a little ticked off. Glad I could help, if I really did at all. I've never read “his” blog (and probably won't just because of the name) no matter what you say nice about him, that name just turns me off.

But anyway, glad you're simmering down a bit. I believe/meant everything I said in your comments section, I think we're all guilty of it to some extent and to varying degrees but hopefully most people like you and me, can acknowledge their misconceptions and do something to change them. If you decide to post about it again, I'll be there as usual to lend my words of (not so much wisdom).

Thanks, Kiyotoe.
"He” sometimes comments at Woozie's. I believe he is trying to help people, but he can be a bit classist. He might annoy you, I'm not sure. He judges people who he thinks kiss up to whitey too much. It's a little judgmental. :( He claims to be a lawyer but he seems pretty "street" for a lawyer so I'm not sure whether to believe him. Anyway I feel his heart is in the right place but he's going about things wrong.
Anne

Hi, it's me again. I hope I'm not being a pest.
Yes, you did help me see things differently. It's strange how annoyed I got at that one blogger. His other posts don't bother me much, I ignore the parts I think are b.s. and pay attention to the parts I like. But I stayed annoyed for about 2 days over one particular post. That's not usually the way I am.
What you wrote made me think he probably doesn't even know his idea is wrong. The way you framed the issue made me think how it might feel to hear that sort of thing every day, like a lot of black people must hear from whites - the every-day stupid misconceptions that aren't meant to be vicious, but they're just ignorant. It must get really old. I can "know" that intellectually, but I never could "feel" it until now, and all I got was a small taste of it. It's not because I don't care. It's just because I couldn't completely know how another race feels any more than I could know how it would feel to be a man. You know?

I'm not sure if you were hinting that you wanted us to talk about my prejudices? Yes, I have plenty of prejudices. I hate to admit it because I feel ashamed of myself if I catch myself being ignorant like that. It's not a hatred sort of thing, but more of an expectation about certain types of people, and it's not necessarily about race. I guess that's human nature and probably a primitive survival instinct, but it can often be wrong. Like you said, I try to learn the truth about people and give them a chance, but I can be a jerk sometimes too. So there it is. I don't usually spill my guts like that. I must really like and trust you.

Peace.

Anne,
"I must really like and trust you".......
I have that effect on people. :) But no, I wasn't really challenging you to share your prejudices or anything, just stating that I was almost positive that you had some, because I believe that most of us do. I don't know about you but my favorite blogs are the ones that make me "feel" something one way or another. If he pissed you off, then I guess he's doing a good job with his writing. I just received an e-mail from a blogger who I've gotten pretty cool with and she told me that due to some personal "issues" that she couldn't visit my blog as much as she'd like because my posts are usually so introspective and thought provoking that she usually gets upset over them. Wow.

On one hand, I'm thankful that i'm writing stuff that people are relating to, but on the other hand, I hate that she's "afraid" to visit my page because of how it might make her feel. Anyway, my point is, I don't think you should feel bad about being agitated for a couple of days. He may not have intended to upset you but I'm sure the goal is to create some kind of emotion.

As for prejudices and misconceptions, one of mine is that every older white woman I meet is going to be scared of me or distance herself from me. I know that not ALL older white woman label all black men as "dangerous" but like you said, I can only go off of my experiences. I've met a bunch of older white women through the blogosphere who all seem to be cool enough HOWEVER, I also recognize that chatting and e-mailing is a lot easier and more comfortable than holding a conversation in your living room or out in a public place. So, I guess I still have those misconceptions by assuming that about white women until they prove me wrong on a one by one basis.

Of course there's more but like I said in the last e-mail, I think the fact that we recognize our faults in this area, is a big step to correcting them. Hell, I even have prejudices against other black people, it's not uncommon for people to stereotype their "own" race, religion, culture, etc. It may not be right, but it happens all the time.

Okay, see? Now you got me running my mouth. I bet you're regretting opening this dialogue now aren't you? :)

Hi, Kiyotoe.

No, "He" wasn't trying to tick me off. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know who I am, since I've never left a comment there. He's so super-cynical about white people that I would feel I was going into "hostile territory" by leaving a comment. I don't want to argue with him, and I don't feel like trying to convince him that I'm one of the 3 "good" whiteys in America. But I find his blog interesting so I just lurk. Maybe I'll leave a comment one of these days. He did do his job by making me think and feel, and that's good. If it had been just him saying stuff about "racist" poor white people, it probably wouldn't have hit me too hard, but when his commenters added their 2 cents, it really hit me - wow, so much hate! It was kind of disturbing.

It's a shame one of your commenters feels your blog is too much for her, but it sounds like you're actually helping her a lot. I'm sure she'll be back.

About those older white women who you feel are scared of you... It's entirely possible that you're right. They grew up in a time when there was a lot more prejudice, and that's how they were taught to think, in the 1930's, 40's or whatever. I've met a few older black people too who seem to expect prejudice more than younger people do. BUT... I have to say that when some young tough-looking guy comes too close to me, I watch my purse a little more closely. It doesn't matter what race he is, it's how he's dressed. Do you get a different reaction from older women when you're dressed up for work than when you're casual? I'm saying maybe it's not your race. But maybe it is, hard to tell. I believe the world is slowly changing for the better, but it's damn slow. And yes I stereotype my own race too. For example, some women seem stuck-up and bossy, based on their clothes and the way they carry themselves. I could be wrong, but it's hard to like them, you know?

Thanks for the great conversation. No I sure don't regret opening this dialogue. :)

Anne,
I might have to stop by his page some time just to check it out. I agree that there is some progress being made, however slowly, but it's happening. I know that the way I dress outside of work has a lot to do with others' perception of me but "it is what it is". Clothing, language, hair, hobbies, they all make up the "stereotyped" image. So yeah, there are women black and white who might cross the street when they see me coming when I'm in my jeans and football jersey with a baseball cap on backwards. But there are also women who will cross the street when they see me coming even when I'm at work in a shirt and tie. If those people are not willing to look past their "ignorance" then there's nothing I can do to change them.

It's weird because growing up in Jersey, the early part of my life was spent in pretty rough neighborhoods with mostly black neighbors and then I moved to a suburb when i started junior high. From that point forward I was always in a "mixed" environment until college when i attended a Historically Black College. My point is, I've seen the best and worst of both worlds and can easily make friends with people of all backgrounds. But unfortunately that doesn't mean anything these days. People are going to label you before they even get to know you, which is a shame. I've learned to take that lickin' and keep on tickin'. All I can do is be the best "me" possible.

And now, race discussions get me so "invested" because there are so many interracial relationships in my family. My mother has had the same white boyfriend for 10 years. My father has a white girlfriend and now I have a 3 year-old bi-racial little sister and she is my heart. I have a niece that will be 1 in May and she is bi-racial. I attended one of my closest friends' weddings last summer and he married a white woman in Seattle. So race isn't as simple to me anymore as "black" or "white". It would be nice if it could be that way for everybody.

Wow, this could be a blog post.

Kiyotoe,
Yeah, this whole conversation could almost be a series of blog posts, or one of those books that's written in the form of letters or journal entries. Maybe you should post some thoughts about this if you want to. I probably will.

On some level I don't think it's a bad idea to watch out for shady-looking people. I don't mean that any particular race looks shady - you and I both know there's good and bad in every group, and there are strange looking people of every color. But I try to keep an open mind unless they look really weird, at least a wait-and-see attitude. But I really do want to do my part to challenge misconceptions and prejudice, especially about race or gender.

Actually I've had a few old ladies look like they were scared of me too. What the heck do they think we're going to do to them?

I have a somewhat multiracial family too. Sometimes people think I'm Italian or Hispanic. I don't know what that mystery darker gene is in me. It could be almost anything really, maybe even black - one drop. My older son is white, Native American, and all kinds of other stuff. My little one is white-hispanic-black-Jewish, and who knows what else. But both the boys look white-ish, like me. My brother is half white and half Mexican, but he looks white-ish too. Our parents are pretty light-skinned with blue eyes. Yeah, we're all mixed up.

Talk to you later.

Anne,
Would you object to me posting this entire e-mail conversation? Minus anything you would want to exclude of course. I think it'd spark some conversation in the comment section, what do you think?

I really doubt that there are too many people around these days that can honestly say that they are 100% this or full blooded that. We're so mixed up, it's crazy when you think about the people who "hate" just for the sake of hating. It kills me to hear white supremacists say stuff like "this is our country! we're 100% pure blooded Aryan blood." Give me a break. If that's true, then good for you for being so rare these days. And if it's not true, you're an idiot.

Okay, sorry, I was in full blog mode right there. But the point was SUPPOSED to be that people would probably be surprised to know that we have more in common than the differences that separate us.

And I agree with you, shady is shady no matter the color HOWEVER, far too many people out there associate "shady" with black or hip-hop.

Kiyotoe,
That sounds like it might be a good idea. Sure, go for it.

The London Beer Flood Of 1814

2007-04-14T02:11:00.001-07:00

Continuing what seems to be becoming a series about strange accidents, please allow me to tell you about the London Beer Flood. Depending on which source I check, a few of the facts differ, such as the amount of beer spilled. I will tell you what seems to be the most common and believeable version of the story.
In the St. Giles slum area of London, on Tottenham Court Road, stood the Meux and Company Brewery, also known as the Horseshoe Brewery. They had several large vats of fermenting beer including one of the biggest in the city, a 20 to 22 foot high wooden vat which was held together by 29 metal hoops.
On October 17, 1814, the hoops broke. The vat burst open sending about 82,400 gallons (312,000 liters) of beer gushing in all directions. That caused several other vats to break, pouring a total of roughly 323,000 gallons (1.224,000 liters) of beer into the streets.
Basements flooded, two houses were destroyed, and the wall of a nearby pub was knocked down, trapping a barmaid for three hours. Eight or nine people died - most from drowning; one from alcohol poisoning. Survivors brought pots and scooped up as much of the free beer as they could, while some simply lapped it up by the handful.
When injured residents were taken to a local hospital, the smell of beer filled the air. Chaos ensued as other patients, believing there was a party, rose from their beds and demanded beer too.
A court later ruled the accident an "act of God" and refused to hold the brewery liable.
Snopes Article
Wikipedia Article

The Great Molasses Flood Of 1919

2007-04-12T00:52:00.001-07:00

As long as we're on the subject of weird accidents, how about a little bit of strange history?
Way back on January 15, 1919, the very day before the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) was ratified, in Boston, Massachusetts, a storage tank exploded or collapsed. This tank was 50 feet tall, 90 feet wide, and made of 1/2 inch thick steel plates. Inside the tank stood fermenting between 2 and 2.5 million gallons of molasses. The syrupy by-product of sugar manufacturing, molasses was commonly used as a sweetener or fermented to make ethyl alcohol, an ingredient in liquor and some types of gunpowder. Incidentally, Prohibition outlawed only alcohol for drinking purposes. Industrial (non-drinking) alcohol production had actually felt a sharp rise in the previous few years due to World War I.
The owner of the storage tank, Purity Distilling Company, had been warned of a bad leak in part of their tank and responded by painting the tank brown to make the leak less noticeable.
About 12:40 p.m. a loud noise was heard as the tank violently tore open. Sheets of metal flew with enough force to crumple the steel supports of a nearby elevated railway. Air pressure from the blast picked up a train and derailed it, damaged several buildings, and knocked a fire station off its foundation. Then came the flood of sticky molasses. An 8 to 15 foot high wave moved at an estimated 35 miles per hour, coverering vehicles, horses and people. 21 people died and about 150 were injured. It took four days to find all the survivors in the waist-high sticky flood.
Purity Distilling Company tried to blame the accident on anti-war anarchist terrorists, but eventually settled out of court in one of the city's first class-action lawsuits. Changes in building regulations resulted, such as a requirement for inspections and filing of blueprints.
Some say that on a warm day in Boston, you can still smell the faint scent of molasses.

The Unfortunate And Ironic Story Of John Casor

2007-04-03T01:44:00.001-07:00

There was a time during the colonization of America, and earlier in England, that Christians considered it their right to enslave non-Christians of any race. The slaves could gain their freedom by converting to Christianity. Indentured servitude was also common. A wealthy person would give money or help in exchange for a specific amount of the debtor's labor, commonly seven years. A Christian could not be held as a servant for life except as punishment for criminal acts.
Antonio Johnson (who later changed his name to Anthony), a black or black-hispanic mixed man, and his future wife Mary, a black woman, were among the very first non-white and non-Native American people to arrive in America. They came by boat to Virginia in 1619 as indentured servants. Upon their release they were given land and eventually became wealthy enough to take on indentured servants of their own.
A black man by the name of John Casor became one of Anthony Johnson's indentured servants. Johnson failed to release John Casor after a time, so Casor ran away. Casor plead his case in court, but Johnson convinced the court that Casor had agreed to be Johnson's slave for life. The Virginia court ruled in Johnson's favor in 1654 or 1655, making John Casor America's first officially recognized slave.
In 1665 Anthony and Mary Johnson moved to Maryland to live out the rest of their lives, but not before setting the precedent for lifelong slavery of Christians. It didn't take long for rich land-owners and politicians to contrive ways to change the focus of slavery from religion to color, and slavery as we generally know it was born.
Sources:PBS: The Blurred Racial Lines Of Famous Families
Russell, Colored Freemen As Slave Owners In Virginia
Wikipedia Article: John Casor
Wikipedia Article: Anthony Johnson (American Colonial)

Congratulations To The Tuskegee Airmen

2007-03-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

It has taken over sixty years, but the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II were honored today with the Congressional Gold Medal. The group of Army Air Corps pilots flew over 15,000 missions during the war and are said to have never lost a bomber.
Thank you to the Tuskegee Airmen and to all Veterans.
Click here to learn more about the Tuskegee Airmen.

A Sneezy Brush With Fame

2007-03-04T14:30:00.001-08:00

I was over yonder at Bardouble's place today reading her take on the Antonellas and Paris Hiltons of the world who get famous for no good reason. I think it's a sad state of affairs when people become famous for their drama rather than for their good accomplishments. How many people know who Anna Nicole Smith is? Now, how many have heard of Richard R. Schrock?
Dr. Richard R. Schrock is a professor at the Michigan Institute of Technology. He won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2005.
http://nobelprize.org/chemistry/laureates/2005/schrock-lecture.html
He and two other chemists discovered a way to significantly speed the processing of certain medicines, which could make them cheaper and more accessible to the people who need them. Whether the pharmaceutical companies pass the savings onto the consumer remains to be seen, but the fact remains that Dr. Schrock did something very impressive for the good of humanity.
Now let me tell you how I happened to meet this wonderful man. Last year Dr. Schrock gave a lecture at a nearby college. My older son's chemistry teacher gave extra credit to students who went to hear the lecture. So we got all dressed up and went. My younger son, then six years old, looked sharp in his little suit. We sat in the second row of a packed auditorium. A speaker introduced the good Doctor, who gave a speech and sat down with a panel of chemistry experts. As they talked, my little son began to sneeze. Very loudly. He sneezed and sneezed and sneezed over the scientists' voices. When he saw the embarrassed look on my face, he began to laugh very loudly and couldn't seem to stop. I was already getting up to hurry him out a side door when I saw a security guard holding the door for me, with an annoyed look on her face.
We waited outside the auditorium until the end of the speech. I got a photo of my two boys with Dr. Schrock, who was more than gracious with my little son. He jokingly told "Sneezy,"
"Maybe you'll discover a cure for that some day."

Hippie On A Motorcycle

2007-01-27T19:58:00.001-08:00

In 1975 I was nine years old. The civil rights movement was winding down a bit. Funky disco dancers with mile-high afros were beginning to replace hippies. Talk of streakers and an energy crisis abounded. So did well-worn army jackets. I made a tie-dyed t-shirt at summer camp that year and got my first platform shoes. Fire hydrants and mailboxes were painted red, white and blue in anticipation of the country's bicentennial.
For years I had watched the hippies, peaceniks and revolutionaries on television, fascinated by what they were doing. When we got a color t.v. I was struck by their wonderful, colorful clothes. I was riding down the street one day in the back of my dad's pickup truck, wrapped up in a sleeping bag to protect me from the wind. A young man, maybe in his early 20's, pulled up behind us at a stop light. He rode a motorcycle, wore a green military jacket, and had long brown hair. No helmet. In those days you didn't need one. He asked if I was cold. I said no. He asked if I was sleepy. (Remember, I was in a sleeping bag.) I told him no. Then the light turned green and I never saw him again. He seemed so kind and had a sweet face. That was the moment I decided to become a hippie. I wanted to be kind and caring like him. I don't look like one any more, but in my heart I still hold dear the positive parts of that culture - civil rights, peace, kindness, and "sticking it to the Man"
when the Man abuses his power.

New Blog Name - We Have A Winner

2007-01-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

You guys all came up with some great suggestions and helpful advice.
Spadoman reminded me that a lot of what I write about is peace... I'm kind of a hippie.
Enemy Of The Republic reminded me that I should focus on who I am, or an image I want to portray. Since I am a work in progresss, I don't quite know how to define who I am. I think if I do, I will limit myself to being only that. I'll be stuck in a rut. I almost went with a new blog name along the lines of Who Is Anne? or Who Am I, Where Am I Going?
Slaghammer had no way of knowing I actually DO sometimes call myself Anne Onymous as a joke.
And Deuddersun had no way of knowing that I tell my kids they have to listen to me because I'm the queen - Queen Anne. It's an inside joke, but now you're in on it too. Plus he added the concept of not just a regular queen, but a pirate queen. Now how can I resist that? I've always considered the Internet as a pirate medium.
And there it is, our winner, Deuddersun's suggestion:
"Queen Anne's Revenge - Ravaging the Right Wing With Broadsides of Intelligence"
Okay, Deuddersun. I'm sending you your virtual hug, which is the prize, and big thanks. Actually I think I'll send everyone hugs and thanks too, everyone was such a good sport.
One unexpected effect of this name change is that it really made me think, who am I? And you know what? I thought I knew, but I don't. I realized I'm still changing and getting to know myself every day. Another interesting thing was hearing a bit about how everyone chose their blog names. I'd love to hear more.
So... how did you choose your screen name or blog name?

Help Me Choose A New Name

2007-01-24T19:47:00.001-08:00

I'm thinking of changing the name of my blog. I have no idea what the new name should be, but I'm starting to get bored of The Serious Post. So many people have clever or catchy blog names - people much more creative than I am.

Maybe I'll make this into a contest. The winner gets ...um... ...uh... how about an imaginary hug and the satisfaction of knowing THEY thought up the name. Rules? Obviously the name can't be taken already, or be substantially similar to an existing blog name. And hopefully it's not painfully long. It can be descriptive, serious, funny, odd, or whatever. What do you think?

Funding The Spanish American War

2007-01-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Did you know you (if you live in USA) have been paying telephone taxes to fund the Spanish American War? It seems the United States Treasury started this tax in 1898 and it has never been repealed. What's more, the Treasury has fought several court battles to keep it going. Thank goodness they've finally lost. It's probably not much money, but it's the principal of the thing. The government says there will be a place on your 2006 tax return to claim your share of the refund money. ...um... would it be pessimistic to assume they'll just think up a new way to stick it to us?

Happy Kwanzaa

2006-12-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

The civil rights era of the 1960's was by no means the whole war on prejudice, but it was probably the most colorful part of the war in recent history. Not everyone realizes that so much was happening at once. Amidst the anti-war protests were the famous movements for black, women's and gay rights. Then there were the lesser-known struggles for Asian and Hispanic rights, and black women's double battle. Have you noticed that old photos of women's rights rallies include few women of color? Non-white women did much to help, but they often did it less publicly, internally within the battle for racial equality. Sadly, many women of color felt they were treated as less than equal by their white sisters. Racism divided the women's movement more than sexism divided the black movement.

One thing born from the 1960s' climate of heightened awareness and political activism is the Afro-centric holiday of Kwanzaa. Created in 1966 by a small group of black activists, Kwanzaa is a week-long (December 26 to January 1) celebration based on African harvest festivals and an observation of black history, accomplishments, and seven values:
Unity, Self-determination, Collective work and responsibility, Cooperative economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.
These seem like good ideas for everyone of every race, as long as it is done for the benefit of everyone. I hope for a day when race will no longer be a social issue, but simply a trivia fact like left-handedness or height. Until that day comes, I will gladly support Kwanzaa as a predominantly black holiday, and even help celebrate a bit. I think it helps society in its own way. Anything that elevates people without tearing down others, and encourages positive action helps. Happy Kwanzaa, everyone.

My Wish List

2006-12-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, nobody's asked me what I want for the holidays (any of them) yet. Some people have even told me not to hold my breath. I can only assume that means I'm getting scuba gear, and everyone wants me to be really surprised. To make your shopping easier, I've taken the liberty of making a wish list, and here it is.

1. Sugar plums. Really, I just want to know what they are.
2. A new computer that doesn't smell like electrical fire, with an internet connection.
3. A bigger house, with a special room for my computer and hobbies, that I can dramatically refer to as "my lair."
4. A c.d. of John Philip Souza marches so I can blare it on my car radio and drive slowly down the street waving. (I just want to see the look on people's faces.)
5. My groove back.
6. Chocolate.
7. Whirled peas... or something like that.

Now, what would you like for the holidays?

Happy Hanukkah

2006-12-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

This coming Saturday will be Hanukkah. It's a relatively minor holiday... less important than the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashannah) but more important than, say, Groundhog Day. I think it's mainly because of its proximity to Christmas that it gets more mainstream (non-Jewish) attention than other Jewish holidays. In many parts of the world, people do not give Hanukkah presents... but the creative retail industry has seen to it that it becomes more and more common.

Because of Hanukkah and some other world events, I am reposting an early article of mine about prejudice, as it relates to Jews.

Lies Lies Lies Part 4 - Jews
A Look At Misinformation And Prejudice Between Cultures
Why do people hate Jews? If you Google that question on the internet, you will find a simply mind-boggling collection of opinions and misconceptions. In this article I will attempt to answer a few of the most common questions about Jews. If you happen to be Jewish, you may as well stop reading now. From here on out I’m only stating the obvious to you. (What, you want I should make every article interesting?)

As with any social group or race, it really helps if you get to personally know some members of that group and form your own opinions rather than relying on what someone else tells you. Everyone is a little different, so try to meet a few people before forming an opinion. Keep in mind that there are a few different sects of Jews, some being a bit more new-fangled and some a bit more orthodox. There are also many secular Jews who may or may not believe in any given teaching of Judaism. This is intended as a general overview. So without further ado, let’s get to the questions.

Are Jews a race?
Although Jews are often treated as a race, that’s not exactly what they are. A Jew is generally someone whose mother is Jewish, or someone who has converted to the religion of Judaism. While you can’t become another race, anyone can become Jewish. On the other hand, some Jews are not particularly religious, but are still considered Jewish because their families are Jewish. Because many Jews’ ancestors originally came from the same part of the world, the Middle East, some have that stereotypical Jewish appearance; but many do not. They have moved a lot around the world and come to resemble the rest of the people in whatever area they live. We sometimes hear someone saying “white people” as if it is the opposite of Jewish, but the fact is that Jews can be, and often are, white. All Jews are not Israelis (an Israeli is a citizen of Israel) and not all Israelis are Jews.

Did the Jews kill Jesus?
That’s the big question, isn’t it? Yet it’s paradoxically irrelevant. Jesus himself would tell you to forgive whoever killed him. Besides that, had he not died, he would not have been able to save Christian souls. No one can deny that Jews were there, but let’s look at some facts.

-At the time Jesus died, Jerusalem was occupied by Romans, who held the highest places of political, judicial and military authority.
-Jesus was brought to trial because some people believed he was, or was trying to become, the king of the Jews. This was considered sedition against the Roman Empire. (John 19:12, Luke 23:2, Acts 17:7)
-Roman officials were involved in Jesus’ trial.
-Roman soldiers marched Jesus to the place he would be crucified, put him on the cross, and drove a spear through his side.
-Crucifixion was a common Roman, not Jewish, method of execution.
-Do you know what the letters INRI mean over Jesus’ head on the cross? They are the first initials of the Latin words “Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm.” Since the Latin letter I corresponds to our modern letter J, and the Latin letter V corresponds to our letter U, we would read the inscription this way: “Jesus Nazareus Rex Judaeorum.” which means in English, “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.” Who put this sarcastic message onto the cross? It was none other than Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor for the province of Judea, who claimed to have washed his hands of the whole affair. (Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luke 23:39, and John 19:19-20)

Does anyone blame Romans for what happened to Jesus? Strangely, NO! Click here for a very interesting and detailed discussion of this subject.

Do Jews believe they are God’s chosen people?
They believe that if they were chosen, it is to perform a duty, not to enjoy a privilege. They have a duty to keep God’s commandments and scriptures. They do not arrogantly believe that God simply likes them best.

Do Jews want to change the Christian way of life?
Jews do not believe in trying to convert people to their religion. In fact, they make it somewhat difficult to convert to Judaism because they want to make sure that if you convert, you sincerely want to of your own free will. By the way, Judaism is based on much the same beliefs that Christianity is based upon. The Torah is another name for the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy; and yes, they do believe in the Ten Commandments.

Do Jews want to control the world?
Throughout history, Jews have conspicuously NOT tried to take over the world.

What about “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion”?
That is a book supposedly describing a Jewish plot to take over the world. It has been proven several times over to be a HOAX – a fake, a forgery. It was written over 100 years ago. If Jews were going to attack, wouldn’t they have done it by now? Yet many hate websites use this hoax as the weak basis for their conspiracy theories.

Do Jews control the media?
One only has to watch any Hollywood awards ceremony to see that Jews are a minority there. Besides, the recent highly biased media coverage of Israel’s war against terrorist group Hizbullah should be proof enough that Jews do not control the media. If they did, they would have made themselves look better, would they not? Don’t think it was biased? Consider that for every one minute of reporting on the situation in Israel, most media probably reported ten minutes or more on Lebanon.

Do Jews control the world’s banks?
Many bankers are Jewish, and many are not. In case you’re worried, the United States and many other countries have usury laws in place to prevent anyone, Jewish or not, from charging interest rates higher than a certain percentage.

Do Jews control the Federal Reserve?
No, of course not. The Federal Reserve is a group of twelve corporations controlled by the federal government and several member banks, who balance each other and keep any one group from gaining control. Click here for a more technical explanation.

Are Jews rich, greedy or cheap?
Some Jews make good money, but many do not. Same as anyone else, some are good with money and some are not. Giving to charity and helping others is a big part of Jewish faith, and that’s not something greedy people would do. As far as being cheap, many Jews came from extreme poverty in Europe, and anyone who lives in those conditions must watch their money. They’re no cheaper than anyone else would be in those circumstances. What I want to know is why do some people seem to think capitalism is good for everyone except Jews? What do they expect Jews to be, if not capitalists?

Are Jews Communists?
If Jews really are communists, it’s bound to be reflected in the government of Israel, right? Sorry to disappoint all the conspiracy theorists out there, but Israel happens to be a PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY, far from being communist. There is a small communist political faction, made mostly of Arabs, not Jews, that sometimes runs in Israeli elections and retains few or no seats in the Israeli parliament. Yes, a faction of Jews that happened to be communists were largely responsible for the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, but there were also many non-communist Jews in Russia at the time. Jews also have a sense of community that appears a bit socialistic on the surface, but it is quite different from communism in its motives and social rules.

Some Jews call non-Jews “Goy.” What does that mean? Is it an insult?
Goy is the Hebrew word for “nation.” It is used with the connotation that the person referred to belongs to some other nation than the Jewish nation. It means the same thing as Gentile. Is it an insult? Only in the same way that Jew can be an insult, depending on the tone of voice with which it’s said.

What does “Kosher” mean?
Kosher means the type of foods that are listed in the Torah or Bible (yes, they are listed in the Bible too) as acceptable to eat, and the way of preparing those foods. Some Jews observe these rules more strictly than others. Click here for a more detailed explanation of these dietary rules.

Blood libel
One of the most long-lived and outrageous myths about Jews is that they drink the blood of non-Jews, especially children, or use the blood as an ingredient in a type of bread called matzoh. This myth began in medieval Europe, where people believed all sorts of crazy things, and it may still be circulating in some parts of the Middle East.
- If this were true, matzoh could not be sold in supermarkets… which it is.
- It is against the dietary laws of Judaism to consume blood from any type of animal.
- Since humans neither have cloven hooves nor chew cud, humans are not even kosher and no part of a human may be eaten.

You may notice that I have used logic and proof (unlike some hate sites) to try to make my points. More importantly, I urge you to read from a wide variety of sources, meet people, and make your own decisions. I leave you with a few more informative links in case you should want to learn more.

Judaism 101
Ask A Rabbi
Texts of Judaism
A Great Proclamation

Special thanks to all the people (you know who you are) who fight tirelessly for truth and justice.

The Power Of Thought

2006-11-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

"Are you sure you didn't sleep with your neighbor?" asked the old witch. The young fortune teller beside her eyed me suspiciously too. Of course I was sure. I think I would remember something like that. And why would she pick that right out of the air when I hadn't mentioned any neighbors at all? I was attracted to him, had thought about sleeping with him, but I had never done it. How did she know the exact location of the man I liked, and why were both of the witches so convinced I had done something?

Do you ever get the feeling that someone is close even when they're far? Do you sometimes feel you're being watched? Try staring at someone's back some time to see if they'll turn around. All this is the power of thought, and there's more. The study of thought could fill books, and it has - not only biology and psychology books, but many books in the broad area of religion, spirituality and metaphysics.

Thought intertwines with emotion and spirit.
The more you think about something, the more you are drawing it toward you. This is true for the best things in life. (Of course some things are so unlikely that no amount of thought will make them happen.) It is how "affirmations" work, and also part of the power of prayer. Thought can also draw bad things toward you. It's a good idea to plan for the worst, but not a good idea to dwell on it. Notice how some people are convinced they have bad luck, so much so that they seem to create it for themselves. It is often a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Have you noticed how different types of thoughts have different qualities? They seem to come from different parts of your body, or all over, or perhaps from a place that can't quite be called your body. You can concentrate on a math problem, hope for something, want to scream with anger, or feel your whole body tingle with excitement. Sensitive people can feel others' emotions, if sometimes only subliminally. Be careful, your thoughts are doing more than you realize.