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JAMES' PERSONAL WRITINGS: SLOVING
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1.08.2012

'Depths of Despair.' SL

3 Anti-Whaling Activists Detained on Japanese Ship Voice of America

3 Anti-Whaling Activists Detained on Japanese Ship

Voice of America -
January 08, 2012 3 Anti-Whaling Activists Detained on Japanese Ship VOA News An anti-whaling group said Sunday that three activists are being held on a Japanese whaling ship after sneaking aboard the vessel overnight.

Palestinian Children Detained Oppressively in Isolation The People's Voice

Palestinian Children Detained Oppressively in Isolation

The People's Voice -
by Stephen Lendman DCI/Palestine "is a national section of the international non-government child rights organisation and movement (dedicated) to promoting and protecting the rights of Palestinian children," according to international law principles.

Explicit price on carbon Hindu Business Line

Explicit price on carbon

Hindu Business Line -
The paper opens by acknowledging that placing a price on greenhouse gas emissions, either through a tax or a tradable permit scheme, is a cost-effective way to internalise the external pollution cost. The author hastens to point out that, ...

1.07.2012

Don't worry. Perry's homes have sprinklers: Texas' worst drought: Trees dying by millions msnbc.com Staff

Deny baby deny: 2011 was the driest year on record in Texas Reuters

Godless christians: Hindus denounce ad attacking Huntsman's faith, values CNN

Hindus denounce ad attacking Huntsman's faith, values

CNN - ‎11 minutes ago‎
By Moni Basu, CNN The vdeo shows Jon Huntsman with Asha Bharati, wearing the red tikka, a mark associated with the sacred in Hinduism.

Why So Many Critics After 17,000 Electric Vehicle Sales in First Year?

Note to a dearly Loved JW friend - 'Why do we trample the Pearl?'

This Friend of 3 years now, contacted me after a several month pause that I thought might be  permanent:  
 
Well, I'm very predictable.  I feel great Joy, and astonishment, in  hearing from you.  Not that you should care, but I feel great Love, and amazement toward you.

I find great Joy in your words about you and I are both fighting the Beast - that is extremely helpful and encouraging language for me to understand you better.  

I don't need you to read on.  I've fabricated none of it for you, but I've allowed to pour forth what is in me recently, because I find it of immense value, it pertains to my caring for you, but you may find it mean, disrespectful....  You won't, I know that by now.  Amazing.  Nor do I EVER find beliefs that you have that I may find abhorrent, horrifying, heartbreaking - hurtful. You don't hold your beliefs to inflict pain on me any more than I do to you. Quite the opposite.

I sleep on the steps of a church immediately adjacent to the north side of the White House property - you probably walked  past it when you were in DC.  I get a warm plate of food every night from a food for the homeless truck that comes to McPherson park, about 3 blocks from there, about 5:45, eat, and then repair to those church steps, work for several hours, then sleep till the next morning, scurrying away like a roach before the  church folk arrive. 

Wednesday evenings two different church groups come to give stuff to the homeless - sandwiches from one, cooked meal from another.  I settle in and work anyway.  The sandwich folks, several guys from a suburban church start up, have, to our mutual gladness spoken with me at length the last 3 wednesdays, an hour or more each time.  As with you and I, we've been fully open with each other, but it is really hard to get down to understanding each other's beliefs -it takes a long, long, long time, I'm not sure why - unrecognized assumptions - plays a big part in the delay; as you and I continually find, at least, I do.  This last Wednesday was the first I understood in the least that Brian, very nice fellow, believes as you do I think, that the Bible is inerrant, every word true, every word from God.  As I do with you, I find much Goodness in him, none the less.  I doubt our dialog will continue much longer - too big a chasm on that one issue alone, but I've found our discussion very stimulating, especially yielding these two revelations for me in my subsequent pondering:

*  Imagine that Donald Trump, one of Satan's guys, wins a  10 billion dollar lottery.  He'd be happy, right?  Not if he reacted  as 'christian's' have to Jesus GOOD NEWS, religion of Brotherhood, Universal Family, Insane Humanity....  No, if Trump received the lottery winning like the 'church' has - oh, he'd ask, 'ok, multi billion dollar payout, but what's the REALLY good news? And, well, is the billions from Satan himself?  I don't want it if it is not. And, do I get to live in his kingdom after I die, I have little interest in the 10's of billions if not.... My point is, Jesus teaching, His Religion - Brotherhood,  Universal Family, the Heart as Our Father's Kingdom - and these are what His teachings clearly say - My God, that's the  10 billion, trillion, quadrillion dollar lottery!!!!!  And yet, the 'church,' 'christians,' 'jw's'... Oh, yeah, we kinda believe that too, but now let's talk about the REALLY important stuff - Inerrant, old testament, old t, ot, ot, ot, revelations, yadda, yadda, yadda.... What?  Brotherhood, Universal Family, Insane Humanity... THIS IS DIVINE, HOLY, COMPLETE, THE PEARL OF INESTIMABLE VALUE - except not to the church, christians, jw's....  And you all may be right.  But every fiber of me, every day of experience in 60 years, says to me you are wrong in all this, well intended some of you, like I know you are, but Dead wrong.

*  ""The external worship of God cannot be combined with works of  love.  The old teaching of the external  worship of God cannot be combined  with my teaching of works of love to  one's neighbor."  The Gospel in Brief,  Tolstoy.  I've known and adored the Truth  of this and Tolstoy's complete translation for many years, but only after my last dialog with Brian did it hit me how unavoidably true it is.   Jesus religion, Brotherhood, Universal Family, by whatever name, IS A RELIGION OF THE HEART, that domain of our nervous system - inerrancy of the bible, endless reading, and reading, and reading, and talking, and teaching of old test, old test, revelations, old test... rules, do this, don't do that, InerrancyYADDA, YADDA, YADDA.  Duh.  Huh? Joe, ALL THIS MAY BE CORRECT!!!!!  IF SO, GOD IS A MEAN, NASTY, TWISTED, EGOCENTRIC CREATURE THAT CREATED US TO 'SEE' TRUTH, IF WE TRIED REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HARD, BUT BUILT A RELIGION ON MUTILATING, TWISTING, CRIPPLING, TORTURING.... THAT SAME ABILITY.  That's just not how it is. 

In a world crippled by such dogmatic, horrible religions of the Head and Flesh, forever, Jesus gave us GOOD NEWS!  Be like a child (uh, did he say bible scholar?  Scribe?  Pharisee?  Uh, no - child) and enter in. To me there are three, unmistakable 'bottom lines,' totalities of his Teachings - TOTALITIES!!!!!!!!!!!  THE WHOLE GOSPEL!!!!

*  'The parable of the Good Samaritan' - wasn't a Jew, didn't know  the old testament, didn't believe in the judeo christian god, didn't know jesus... but was held up by Jesus as an Icon of His Religion of Universal  Brotherhood. -

*  'Whoever will sit at my right hand, and my left hand, is not for me to say.  Whoever is the servant of ALLLLLLLLLLLL.'  Did he forget the parts about bible scholar, old testament scholar, believing in the  juedeo christian god, holy spirit....  Maybe.  I find that a murderous, horrible, deadly idea.

*  'I'm gunna make it real simple for you - 1. Love God (all of Creation, and the Creative powers thereof) with your whole mind, heart, soul..., and 2. Love your Brother as yourself."  UNIVERSAL FAMILY.

Ok, everyone for the last 1800 years says - uh, there is a grain of truth in all that, yeah, it is important, BUT NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT STUFF... YADDA, YADDA, YADDA.....

Oh my God Joe.  It makes my head explode, and Jesus' too.

STOP BEING CHRISTIANS. START BEING CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!! I HEAR HIM SCREAMING AT US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  STOP TALKING, STOP TEACHING -  JUST DO IT.  GO BE FAMILY, TO THE LEAST OF THESE.  SHUT UP! DO IT, I hear Him screaming!!!!  BE LIKE A CHILD, AND ENTER IN!!!!!!!

Brother, I have no thought of convincing you.  Just this morning a thought that has often played in my mind came to a much higher clarity as I was awakening.  Jesus imagery of 'Fisherman.'  Yes, I've know I was right, but I wasn't seeing how totally correct it is.  I'm closer this morning.  Jesus always conducted himself that way, because among men, nothing else is as productive.  The only productive way is to throw in the lure, the Gospel, wait a bit, see if there are bites, notice if there are not.  If yes, keep fishing there.  If not, dive in and try to convince the fish to bite.  :-)  No, it can't be done, the fish are 'alive' and see it, and bite, or they don't.   There is no convince.  It can't happen.  If they are 'dead,' it they don't 'see,' if they don't bite, move on, and try again.  Sow, sow, sow....

I Love you, and am amazed by you, no matter what.  I LOVE THE  LOVE IN YOU, THE BROTHERHOOD, THE COURAGE IN YOU.  I hate that it is so much covered up by all the other stuff, for you, and for the world.  Oh well.

Loving your forever, no matter what,

sl

ps:  This was as much a surprise to me yesterday, as it could be

The 'One,' 'True,' 'Inerrant' DVD

Also to my beloved, and highly respected JW friend:

pps:  This headline was profoundly insightful I found.  I was a bit horrified  that my own mind hadn't come up with this - lazy, distracted, slow:

Santorum wants to impose 'Judeo-Christian Sharia' CNN


Oh well. 

Joe, I don't need for you to read on.  This is really direct, and could  be hurtful.  It's up to you. But this is totally how I see it.

This is the best way I can share what's on my mind.  Imagine that a human  from the 1200's, educated, aware, courageous, sane... gets frozen in  ice, scientists find her in 2012, thaw her out, and she's back to normal!  She sees and hears an old victrola, record player, playing a beautiful  symphony.  'OH MY GOODNESS,' SHE SHARES HER REVELATION, 'THIS  DIVINE CREATION, THIS MACHINE, DESIGNED TO PLAY THIS BEAUTIFUL  SONG.  THIS IS THE SONG, THE MACHINE FROM GOD!  THIS IS THE ONE  TRUE MACHINE/MUSIC.

We are that machine, that victrola, our nervous system, our Head and Flesh is.  And of course,  she is wrong, obviously.  She had the experience of seeing that machine  play one particular record, but she assumed, she Believed, understandably,  that the Machine was designed to play THAT EXACT PIECE - and therefore  that was the one True Belief, from God, Divine....  We of course know that  the record player can play an infinite variety of records.

We are that machine, from my perspective, since I was very young.  A  Muslim, and there are some of great Love, like you, is born seeing One  record, Islam, playing on the machine, maybe making Divine music,  and concludes, under considerable pressure, encouragement,  example... from those around her, that THIS IS THE ONE TRUE RECORD /  RELIGION!!!!  And honestly, truly, from her being she believes!  Uh, no, it is not.  It is  ONE of the religions that excites a capacity of our nervous system, giving  a sense of order, peace, comfort, clarity, power, protection....  But there  is nothing more true about it than Buddhism, JW, Christianity.....

With all due respect, I know that you could argue forever, on end, with  every bit of your good being, that what you see, your understanding of JW,  is clerly THE true religion, The true understanding.  And you could be  correct.  But objectively, in any way that the responsible human nervous  system is capable of, there is NOTHING more Objective, Truth Based, Factual... about your  views, than that of the Good Muslim, Jew, Pagan....  In each one of them  there is EXACTLY a 'Joe,' as articulate, as honest, as bright, as convinced,  as well informed, as loving, as compassionate, as sure..... The Human nervous  system has the ability to experience a religion as the one True religion,  and to argue and fight to the death on that belief.  That is for Certain.  But that beyond that there is one iota of Truth to one Religion being more  True in that sense than another is, absurd, Absurd.  All evidence to the  contrary.  One religions' Sharia is the next religions absurd, hateful  Terrorism.

This is so obvious to me. Yes, conceivably I'm wrong.  No.  There are   two TYPES of religion - those that 'play' on the Head and Flesh - christianity,  islam, jw, buddhism....  And those that play on the opposite part of our  nervous system, the Heart - BY WHATEVER NAME, WITHOUT CREED, ANY MORE THAN  THE EYES HAVE, NEED, OR WILL TOLERATE A CREED - Brotherhood, Universal Family,  Universal Love, Insane Humanity.

xx sl

Meghan McCain: Rick Santorum's Opposition To Gay Marriage 'Gross' On Top Magazine

Meghan McCain: Rick Santorum's Opposition To Gay Marriage 'Gross'

On Top Magazine -
By Carlos Santoscoy Meghan McCain, the daughter of Arizona Senator John McCain, on Friday took a swipe at Rick Santorum's opposition to gay marriage.
In NH appearance, Santorum booed by students for gay mariage stance
Rick Santorum Plays Voters for Fools
Rick Santorum focuses on gay marriage
Students Jeer Santorum on New Hampshire Blitz
Santorum engages, enrages
Santorum raises polygamy in defending stand against gay marriage

Climate warning on rare animals Adelaide Now

Climate warning on rare animals

Adelaide Now -
NATIONS may need to abandon saving certain animals because of climate change and habitat loss, scientists say. The University of Queensland and scientists from the CSIRO said that for the first time they have measured the relationship between climate ...

Acid test for evil twin of climate change Stuff.co.nz

Acid test for evil twin of climate change

Stuff.co.nz -
Scientists label this acid trend "the evil twin of climate change". And they are concerned that shell-thinning could threaten the survival of many small marine creatures and in turn impact on animals further up the food chain, including fish caught ...

$3 to Lunch with the Prez - Power lunch for the people? Obama dines with winners of campaign's contest for ... Washington Post

Power lunch for the people? Obama dines with winners of campaign's contest for ...

Washington Post - ‎19 hours ago‎
WASHINGTON — In a sort of power lunch for the not-so-powerful, President Barack Obama broke bread Friday with four winners of a contest for people who give to his campaign in small amounts. The suggested donation to enter the drawing: $3. ...

US IS GODLESS: US aid embargo pulls plug on Palestinian 'Sesame Street' RT

US aid embargo pulls plug on Palestinian 'Sesame Street'

RT - ‎4 hours ago‎
An iconic Palestinian children's program modelled on the popular US show Sesame Street is under threat following America's decision to freeze nearly US $200 million of aid to Palestine following its accession to the UN cultural body, UNESCO.

1.06.2012

South Florida prepares for rising seas Sun-Sentinel

South Florida prepares for rising seas

Sun-Sentinel -
The proposal by Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties calls for 108 actions to deal with rising sea levels and other consequences of global warming. Among the steps: Redesigning low-lying roads to keep them above water, ...

Republicans vs. Science: Ranking the Candidates New Yorker

Republicans vs. Science: Ranking the Candidates

New Yorker (blog) -
I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”—Jon Huntsman, tweet, August 18, 2011 “Yeah well, I'll be the first one to take him up on his offer.

Kill baby Kill: Baby Harp Seals Being Drowned, Crushed Amid Melting Ice National Geographic

Baby Harp Seals Being Drowned, Crushed Amid Melting Ice

National Geographic -
Harp seal pups are taking a hit due to global warming, according to the first study of its kind. Ice-busting storms and warmer waters fueled by rising temperatures are diminishing the ice cover that harp seals need to survive during their first ...

Environmental research group lambasts GOP field on climate change Houston Chronicle

Environmental research group lambasts GOP field on climate change

Houston Chronicle (blog) -
“The choice among the current Republican candidates on the issue of climate change is scientific ignorance, disdain for science, blatant misrepresentation of facts, or naked political expediency, any one of which would make the individual candidates ...

GODSEND: Obama dines downtown with contest winners Washington Post

Obama dines downtown with contest winners

Washington Post -
In a sort of power lunch for the not-so-powerful, President Barack Obama broke bread Friday with four winners of a contest for people who give to his campaign in small amounts.

ABSOLUTE GOD-SENDS: Michelle Obama and the Evolution of a First Lady ‎ New York Times

Michelle Obama and the Evolution of a First Lady


New York Times - 1 hour ago
Michelle Obama was privately fuming, not only at the president's team, but also at her husband. In the days after the Democrats lost Edward Kennedy's Senate ...
Blog: How Michelle Obama Beat Rahm EmanuelNBC Chicago (blog)
'The Obamas': Book Reveals Friction Between Rahm Emanuel, Michelle ...Huffington Post
Michelle Obama outmaneuvered RahmPolitico
Chicago Sun-Times (blog) - The Atlantic Wire

'I believe that my central Calling is to pick up where Jesus left off...' SL

'... one of the first and only, in 1800 years.'

Am I making an announcement?  Am I speaking of some 'new' calling for me?  No.

I'm sharing the 'name/ for what I've been called to these last 12 years or so, a 'name' that only in recent days is coming to me.

I've for years been clear that Jesus didn't want followers.  Jesus wanted Joiners, of Action, of Love, to come alongside Him, and eventually, as they Learned, gained Mastery, and Strength, went on ahead of him, as any and every great Teacher would want. 

As so often is true with me, this little 'gift' of my Heart, my supra-conscious, upon receiving it, my reaction is like, duh!  That's what you've been attempting, and must continue to attempt.  But it is increased clarity of some magnitude to have the 'name.' 

What changes does this hold for me.  Nothing, fundamentally, I suspect, except it re-enforces, and somewhat explains this thrust I've felt and surrendered to in recent days to assemble my video logs into a text based book.  But coming alonside that is a curious, unexpected, somewhat welcome, profoundly daunting notion that I am to explicitly try to pick up where Jesus left off in spreading the Gospel of Love, Brotherhood, Insane Humanity. 

But Start!  There are millions of 'chruches,' huge denominations, etc, etc, etc.  Yes, and they are all, in Jesus name, teaching the Opposite of what He died to teach us, to Give us - Brotherhood, Love, Insane Humanity - period, end of discussion, end of conversation, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.

Have I been given a glimmering of hope that I'll have an impact?  Zero, zilch, none - Fool's errand. 

But if the Calling continues, I'm in.

US widens definition of rape crimes Reuters

Reuters
 - ‎3 minutes ago‎

Toxic chemical releases rise 16% in 2010 Delmarva Daily Times

Toxic chemical releases rise 16% in 2010

Delmarva Daily Times - ‎1 hour ago‎
Reversing a downward trend, the amount of toxic chemicals released into the nation's environment in 2010 was 16% higher than the year before, the US Environmental Protection Agency reports.

'Very tough sailing. Status Report 010612.' SL

Hunger Strike - Kidney damage is a certain risk. Mine are.

Contact me if you need detail.  I've been unclear in past updates, unintentionally, Kidney Damage is a real risk of hunger strike(s) of substantial duration, and either mine now are permanently damaged, or slower than ever in their recovery.  Edema, swelling of the legs is one of the manifestations, pretty clearly, of at least temporary kidney disfunction, and 40 days since I ended my last major strike, my edema continues, though the improvement I'm now seeing may not be completely explained by my keeping my legs elevated during the day. 

But more alarming is major leg muscle spasms that I've had serious inklings of on prior strikes, but really went into full blossom starting several weeks ago.  Some more here, from a note to a friend I just sent -

I know you worry, so thought I'd give you an update on the  kidney stuff.  Seems pretty much like clockwork at night, about 3.5 hours after I eat - my leg and foot muscles go into a tug of war against each other, and my thumb gets in the act too, twitching away.   Suggests to me kidney dis-function, maybe temporary, maybe something else.  However, before I had any thought of managing it, the experience of and prospects for poor sleeping forever, set me up for feeling that managing it isn't so bad, a real blessing, actually.  Seems that if I manage it so that I eat around 5:45pm, work for another couple of hours, then just before I go to sleep, right in the middle of that 3.5 hour wait time, if I seriously stretch for about 20 minutes - feet, calves, thighs... then, I don't wake up at the 3.5 hour mark!  And if I can make it past that mark, I seem ok!  The edema is much reduced, though how much of that is recovered kidney function, how much the care I'm taking to keep my legs pretty elevated as I work at computer during the day, I can'tsay.  Some of each I think.

My flu symptoms are about 75% gone, thank goodness.  Had me pretty good, for a while.

xx sl

“Extreme Heat Waves … in Texas and Oklahoma in 2011 and Moscow in 2010 Were ‘Caused’ by Global Warming”