Ethereal Trades

Colin Powell quote...

French Fried - Bon Jour...

"I just love the French. They taste like chicken!"
--- Hannibal Lecter

"The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into Paris under a German flag."
---David Letterman

"As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure"
---Jacques Chirac, President of France

"As far as France is concerned, you're right."
---Rush Limbaugh

1   To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2   A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3   A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4   A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5   A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6   A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7   A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8   A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV

Recent Events...

...and then some of us have bigger things on our busy minds.

Altered States II...

Submitted by the Reverend Allan Conkling Jr., San Antonio, Tx. in response to a forwarded email.

Maybe we ought to listen to what the French are saying....

Sorry, but I don't agree with this email (posted below). Our valiant US soldiers who died did so to liberate France - get it Liberate. Now if liberate means a country is only being free to say those things that the US wants them to say then they aren't very liberated are they? Funny I thought in democracy we were free- even encouraged - to exercise free speech and hold varying opinions. Those who would be so arrogant as to vilify or berate another country (or individuals within this country for that matter) for holding a different viewpoint are no better than the leadership of Iraq.

Get with the program!

We (and 350,000 of our US troops - our brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors and children) are being used by the Bush administration to lever a hostile take-over of an oil rich country to serve our (and Bush/Cheny's) own selfish interests.

Small wonder we are so hated in the world.

In the school of global politics Bush gets an F in diplomacy.

-----------------

Forwarded Message:
Subj: Re:Earthquake In France
Date: 3/11/2003 11:07:11 AM Pacific Standard Time

Today it was reported that a severe earthquake has occurred in central France. The severity was measured in excess of 10 on the Richter Scale. The cause was the 56,681 dead American soldiers buried in French soil rolling over in their graves. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission there are 26,255 Yankee dead from World War I buried in 4 cemeteries in France. There are 30,426 American dead from World War II buried in 6 cemeteries in France. These 56,681 brave American heroes died in their youth to liberate a country which is guilty of shameful unspeakable behavior in the 21st century. May the United States of America never forget their sacrifice as we find ways to forcefully deal with the Godforsaken turncoat country of France!

-----------------

An anonymous soldier who has already crossed the Kuwaiti boarder into Iraq on our initial push toward Baghdad said it best. "Freedom has a whole different flavor for those who have had to fight to taste it."

Bobco

Altered States...

It's not too difficult to gauge the sentiment of grass roots America by the proliferation of numerous faxes that are making their rounds. It is difficult to gauge our own personal feelings as we view such tripe. Some are less tasteful than others but contain a common theme that leaves out those of us with more reserved opinions.

The fact that lives will certainly be lost on both sides is troubling. The fact that the general Iraqi public are gripped by the fear that America will not be able to intervene before Saddam takes out their oil, their families, and likely other lives of those deemed sympathetic to our aims in the region, as well as the possibility that he (Saddam) will follow through on his threat to use the very weapons he claims no longer exist.

The most troubling aspect of all this is the callous degradation of all Iraqi people with various racial slurs. As if they were all responsible for the state of their nation... and that stands to reason as all nations, including America, take offense to being lumped in a single minded group, supposedly representative of the feelings of ALL Americans. There are many groups who have become more outspoken regarding the validity of OUR claims that, eventually, Saddam will utilize his hidden weapons again, and not just on his own people this time. The fact that there is a "real and present danger" to our security, as well as the security of other nations on the European continent does not take into account that not all people in that nation (or ours) hold the same political views and aspirations as their current leaders .

I certainly understand the sentiment, but, our fear that we will again be hit by another terrorist attack similar to the events of 9/11 or worse, weigh heavily in our decision process as to our overall support for our government. But what I do not understand is how America, and the racial tension between peoples in our history have taught us nothing, that there are no absolutes when we judge all peoples of another country or religion of any nation or people by the actions of a few.

We should be the first to remember slavery and the lessons learned (and are still learning) in the disparity between the truth and our own fears of anything different than ourselves. We should be the first to remember:

That there are Americans of all nationalities, and should not be judged by the color of their skin or the God of their choice.

The shame of America in dealing with compassion for all those Muslim Americans who have been tortured by the recent actions of others in their faith, as their interpretation of the same Koran differ from those who, in their own birthlands, have been brainwashed at an early age that we are the enemy, just as many of us were taught that other races on our own soil are somehow less in humanity than we are. Less deserving of compassion, more deserving of our anger over the actions of a few.

If we are doing what is honorable and the best thing for our country and the world, regardless of the atrocities that have yet to be committed in the name of future world peace and security, we should remember first that as Americans we will answer historically for the hate in our hearts for those trapped and imprisoned by their own governments' policies and the powers that will not be changed by death when speaking out against them.

I support our efforts as a country, appreciate the gravity of the tough decisions being made by those whom we've entrusted those decisions, and detest the prejudice that we apply to all peoples of any nation that we are at odds with... I'm sure not all the French people have forgotten our contribution during WWII, and support our cause.

Likewise, the Iraqi people who are stuck in an impossible situation do not deserve to slighted, called offensive names, or otherwise treated less than we would want ourselves to be treated.

Remembering the Golden Rule,

Bobco

The Roots of Evil, part I :: Les Racines du Mal, chapitre I

The following post is brought to you courtesy of the Dissedent Frogman of France... (one of my Daily Habits) and it proves that not all of the French people believe as the press would have you believe, and that those who do have been taught as we have in other areas of our core belief systems.

To further edify my most esteemed American and worldwide audience and also to clear up the misunderstandings of the French who, like me, always felt like there was something wrong in what they were taught at school even though they couldn't really dot the i's, I'd like to offer the following passage of the Vincent Teacher's book published by Bordas, as quoted by Jean-François Revel in his book "The Useless Knowledge" (Chapter XI "The treachery of the teachers" - Ed. Grasset).

Be advised that the teacher's book is nothing less than the manual destined to guide the teachers, civil servants of the Ministry of Education, in their duty.

« "We'll demonstrate that there are two camps in the world:
- One is imperialist and antidemocratic (USA)
- The other is anti-imperialist and democratic (USSR),

and we'll precise their goals:
- World domination by crushing the anti-imperialist camp (USA)
- Struggle against imperialism and fascism, reinforcement of democracy (USSR)." »

Don't feel like disgorging yet?

Okay, grab a doggy bag, a toilet bowl or your stepmother's sleeping bag 'cause I'm going to tell you when this book was published.

Ready?

Okay.

1980.

1-9-8-0.

Go get a glass of water, wipe up your mouth. Sorry for the annoyance.

This is a literal translation. The author really put USA and USSR between parentheses. Probably to make sure that no teacher slips up, fairly innocently or by straight duplicity I guess. You know how those enemies of the People are.

It helps to understand a lot about the situation nowadays right?

All right. For every action, there's a reaction.

Reaction:

- Friendly advice to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and the (unfortunately) numerous Eastern Europe countries who learned the hard way how tragically and excessively wrong this French teacher's manual is: stay away from the European Union at all cost and choose the imperialist anti-democratic camp.
It's all right. Britain already does.

- Grim plea to the United States: test the MoaB over France. And pave it. The British need more parking.

- Firm injunction to the Chinese, North Korean, Vietnamese, etc. political "educators": destroy all your Vincent Teacher's book (Bordas ed.) within a week. Else... face the MoaBlix.

- Warm consolation and a pat on my back: it feels so good to learn that I wasn't that paranoid finally. But of course, now I'm wondering if I was paranoid enough which somehow invalidates the first statement. That's the trouble with paranoia.
Now all I need is a smoke grenade, a gas mask and a helicopter. (Cheers to Bill Watterson).

And possibly a Green Card. Heh.

--------------------------------------------

Internationally yours,

Bobco

Metamorphosis

Sometimes I don’t want to be
what people think is me.

I want to change, metomorphosize.

I want to be something different than me.

Something or someone that has all the luck,
That has every ability that is not me.

I just want to be something that makes me happy.

Is that me already?
What if I am already that person?
What if that person is waiting inside me?

I want to be what I want to be, that is just me.

If it ever happens that I had to choose between myself and this other person,
I might choose. . .?

-jdj

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The above was written by my son John Daniel Jackson. John is a high school junior with a 4.0 average, sharp wit, and good heart. He loves his family, is an accolade in his church, his moral conviction is self evident. When he was younger he was bullied at school, but his character was tempered by many cruelties, and his determination to be the individual he already is has found fertile soil.

It's funny what we see of ourselves when we look in the mirror, and rare that we are comfortable with it. We worry so much of what others think about us, yet would be surprised if we knew they seldom did... think about us.

I'm proud of the man you are son, the man you will become, and grateful to a merciful God that you bless all our lives, and will bless those whom you've yet to touch.

Paternally,

Dad

SADDAM'S SOLDIERS SURRENDER

Mar 9 2003

Mike Hamilton reports from Camp Coyote in Kuwait

TERRIFIED Iraqi soldiers have crossed the Kuwait border and tried to surrender to British forces - because they thought the war had already started.

The motley band of a dozen troops waved the white flag as British paratroopers tested their weapons during a routine exercise.

The stunned Paras from 16 Air Assault Brigade were forced to tell the Iraqis they were not firing at them, and ordered them back to their home country telling them it was too early to surrender.

submitted by Noggie CNoggie

the Wedding (and Graduation)

I arose at 03:30, still having to finish packing for the trip. Clyde had been busy the last several weeks calling everyone at Lackland AFB attempting to make the arrangements happen. Ginny was picking me up in our rented Saturn and we were well on the road by 06:00. We talked about how proud we both were of Lauren and the positive changes that she'd made in her life over the last six months and, of course, how sudden the Wedding had come up and its' inclusion in the rest of the weekends' graduation activities.

We made the 14:00 briefing which saved us a lot of trouble and time the next morning. Clyde met us there, and we all attended the formation of the trainees at the end of the day. After saying our hellos and a quick trip to Pizza Hut and then to Clyde's room, we visited briefly and made plans for the next day and went our separate ways.

Friday morning, Feb 14th, was dark, cold, and raining. We made our way to the Parade Grounds at the Air Museum and found our places in the grandstands. It was steadily coming down, but all the graduating Flights were lined up, stock still, impressing those of us trying to stay dry. All the Airmen performed perfectly, bands and flags, salutes, protocol, Esprit DeCorps evident in the successes of the last months.

A dash back to the room to change into our "wedding attire" and we managed to find the Hope Chapel in time for the ceremony. Beautiful... and the Chaplin was terrific. I cried as did Clydes' mom. I walked Lauren down the aisle, Ginny was the Bridesmaid, Clyde Sr. the Best Man. Laurens' Uncle Allan and Kelly Conkling attended and witnessed the affair. Ginny brought the traditional "Conkling Porta-Wedding" consisting of cake, the wedding knife, sparkling juice, and an assortment of other goodies. We had a brief party at the NCO Club and left the newly weds to themselves for the remainder of the evening.

Pictures are available in the new and improved Gallery (Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Clyde & Lauren Hunt!) or in the "Features" section at the top of the right hand column click on the "Wedding" link.

Flying Kites...

Something deep inside is telling me to "go fly a kite". bbl