LOVELIGHT
Magazine
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June 2008*** Vol. 5, no. 6
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Managing Editors: Adamaria Francis and a franciscan taoist
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Special thanks, and public acknowledgment, to the following
contributors to this issue: Asher
Aziz, David Bosire, Jim Dwyer, Maureen Dwyer, Chris Finer, Mick Gallagher,
Sandi Grubb, Pat Helms, Steven McDaniel, Nathan Merritt, Alice Phillips,Rabson
Sagana.
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LOVELIGHT
MAGAZINE: WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT
Lovelight magazine is free, coming to your inboxscreen
monthly, to announce the beauty of Love!
And we love to laugh!:) So,
if you discover any good chuckles, please send them along!:) But no bigoted, prejudiced,
scatological, geruntological, low-quality, or poor-taste humor, please.
Still, life is not all laughs.
So, we hope also to share pleasant and happy thoughts. Lovelight wants to promote peace and
harmony, all over the world, and to aid you to feel good!:) If you are working on any religious,
psychological, or spiritual issues, we encourage you to read the ezine, and to
write to us at rmfrancis@juno.com
Also, if you come across any wise or touching pieces, not copyrighted,
fairly short, please share them with us!
Also welcome are practical tips, short pieces on personal philosophies,
interesting facts, wordplays, and general spirituality (but no religion or
"preachy" dogma, please.:).
We reserve the right to make whatever changes we deem necessary or
desirable before inclusion in Lovelight.
A subscription is free. As a subscriber, your email name/address
will not be shared. Please share,
send, or copy, this magazine, or any parts of it. Share it as widely as possible, with all your friends, and
all others. Please use it on your websites and bulletinboards. Please photocopy, email, or snailmail
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please have friends send us their emailaddress and subscribe. Subscriptions are free.
This is "light" reading.
And it is also great, fun reading.
A collection of magazines is produced once a year. We have published three volumes, and
this would make a sweet gift for a loved one. Happy reading!:)
*****
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AS I'VE GROWN UP…
sent in by Maureen Dwyer
I've learned that…
you cannot make someone
love you. All that you can do is stalk
them and hope that they panic and give in.***I don't suffer from insanity; I
enjoy it.***one good turn gets most of the blankets.***artificial intelligence
is no match for natural stupidity.***no
matter how much I care, some people are just jackasses.***you shouldn't compare yourself
to others.
They are more screwed up than you think.***to not sweat the petty things,
and not pet the sweaty things.***it takes
years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to
destroy it.***depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
**********
*****
WHAT KIND OF GOD?
sent in by Mick Gallagher
I need to ask you: Do you feel that our God is that petty? Would He be that worried by one man's maybe 'offending' him? Is that the kind of God we have? Would He be that vindictive, that petty? I don't think so. At least I don't believe that. Some people believe that He is going to 'get back at,' or 'get even' with, that little bastard who said he's more popular than God! They believe that God says, 'I'll show him!'
No. That's why I don't care for the way fundamentalist think in such small minded, myopic, fearbased ways. They seem to relish the murder of fallible mortals. In the same way, they can't wait until 'Jesus comes back,' and destroys all their enemies! We, not the Creator, have made this world into a hell. We have free will and free minds. We make our choices. We choose who's dogma to accept or to reject. And fundies have been doing this for a long time. And the 'I can't wait till Armageddon' gang has been fixated for centuries on setting dates for 'his return.' It is as if he would want to return to this ignorant, violent, kindergarten planet. No. They say that he died on the cross and that he will return someday. Therefore we are permitted to hate our neighbors because we were all 'forgiven.'
What supreme arrogance and ignorance! Christ never left; as the 'son of God,' he still lives in our hearts. And the 'daughter of God' never left either. The Holy Spirit of Love still lives within us as well.
Love is God and Love is everywhere! The questions have more to do with humans and the 'devil'
(fear), which perpetuate this hate and death, etc.
*****
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THE LAW OF THE
GARBAGE TRUCK, sent in by Jim Dwyer,
I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. Suddenly a car jumped out of a parking
space right in front of us. My
taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the car by just inches! The driver started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at
the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.
So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your
car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me
what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of
frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a
place to dump it; and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and
move on. Don't take their garbage
and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
"The bottom line: Successful
people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake
up in the morning with regrets, so,
"Love those who treat you right. And pray for those who
don't."
*****
*****
CHUCKLES AND
SNORTS: HUMORTHERAPY
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
I was testing the children in my Sunday school class to see whether they understood the concept of getting to heaven. I asked them, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, Would that get me into Heaven?" "NO!" the children answered. "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?" Again, the answer was, "NO!" By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun! "Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me into Heaven?" I asked them again. Again, they all answered, "NO"! I was just bursting with pride for them. "Well," I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?" A five-year-old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead!"***
THE
PSYCHIATRIST AND THE PROCTOLOGIST,
sent in by Pat Helms
Two doctors, a psychiatrist and a proctologist,
opened an office in a small town and put up a sign reading: "Dr. Smith and
Dr. Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors."
The town council was not happy with the
sign, so the doctors changed it to read, "Schizoids and Hemorrhoids."
This was not acceptable either, so in an
effort to satisfy the council, they changed the sign to "Catatonics and
High Colonics." No go. Next, they tried "Manic
Depressives and Anal Retentives." Thumbs down again. Then came "Minds
and Behinds." Still no good.
So they tried "Analysis and Anal Cysts." Not a chance. "Nuts and Butts?" No way.
Almost at their wit's end, the doctors
finally came up with: "Dr.
Smith and Dr. Jones, Odds and Ends."
Everyone loved it!
*****
*****
SOME GUIDELINES FOR
LIVING, sent in by Lovelies
1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.***2.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as
important as any other.***3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or
sleep all you want.***
4. When you say, "I love you," mean it!***5. When
you say, "I'm sorry," also sincerely mean it!***6. Be engaged at
least six months before you get married.***7. Believe in love at first sight.***8.
Never laugh at anyone's dream. People
who don't have dreams don't have much.***9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only
way to live life completely.***10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.***11.
Don't judge people by their relatives.***12. Don't form any opinion as to the total value of any
person.***13. Talk slowly but think quickly.***14 Remember that great love and
great achievements involve great risk.***15. Say "God bless you" when
you hear someone sneeze. Say,
"I bless you," at other times.***16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.***17.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and
responsibility for all your actions.***18. Don't let a little dispute injure a
great friendship.***19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate
steps to correct it.***20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your
voice.***21. Spend some time alone.
*****
Be kinder than necessary,
for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
*****
*****
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.
*****
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71 % DISAPPROVE
OF BUSH, sent in by Steven McDaniel
Poll: More disapprove of
Bush than any other president
WASHINGTON DC (CNN) -- A new poll suggests that President
Bush is the most unpopular president in modern American history.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll shows 71 percent
disapprove of President Bush's job performance.
"No president has ever had a higher disapproval rating
in any CNN or Gallup Poll; in fact, this is the first time that any president's
disapproval rating has cracked the 70 percent mark," said Keating Holland,
CNN's polling director.
"Bush's approval rating, which stands at 28 percent in our new poll, remains better than the all-time lows set by Harry Truman and Richard Nixon [22 percent and 24 percent, respectively], but even those two presidents never got a disapproval rating in the 70s," Holland said. "The previous all-time record in CNN or Gallup polling was set by Truman, 67 percent disapproval in January 1952."
While Gallup polling goes back to the 1930s, it wasn't until
the Truman years that they began surveying monthly approval ratings.CNN Senior
Political Analyst Bill Schneider adds, "He is more unpopular than Richard
Nixon was just before he resigned from the presidency in August 1974."
President Nixon's disapproval rating in August 1974 stood at
66 percent
The poll also indicates that support for the war in Iraq
has never been lower. Thirty percent of those questioned favored the war, while
68 percent opposed it.
"Americans are growing more pessimistic about the
war," Holland said. "In January, nearly half believed that things
were going well for the U.S. in Iraq; now that figure has dropped to 39
percent."
The numbers on the Iraq war come on the five-year
anniversary of Bush's "Mission Accomplished" moment on board the
aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, when he proclaimed that "major
combat operations in Iraq have ended."
The record-low support for the war in a CNN poll could be
one reason behind the president's unpopularity, but it probably is not the only
one.
"Support for the war, the assessment of the economy and approval of Mr. Bush are all about the same -- bad," Schneider said.
*****
*****
LOVELETTERS
FROM PALS, BUDS, AND FRIENDS
From David Bosire of Love Ministries of Kenya:
Dear Brother Richard,
Much greetings in the exalted name of our loving savior
Jesus Christ. Thanks brother for the love that you have shown to us
that we also need to practice while we are serving the lord who loved
us from the beginning.
I am so grateful for the book that you have sent plus
the donation that you have sent.
I will soon send the physical address as you have told
me.
As well I , the Ministry as a whole on
their behalf I give thanks for the prayers that you have towards these need
orphans and hope that the Lord who is merciful will open ways to them
through His loving Sisters and brothers all over the world.
Also I give thanks as you are praying for the Love
ministries here in Kenya.
We too can't forget the love ministries in USA, and that of
India that has extended their love to Kenya that the true message of Love will
spread its rays to all parts and corners of the world.
Now, Be praying for us that God's wisdom may accompany
us in establishing a good work of the Lord here in Kenya that will
Glorify the name of the lord.
Be blessed as I will be glad to hear from you again.
Yours brother,
***
From Love Ministries to Sandi Grubb:
The Islamic cultural, but not religious Sufis were, and are, remarkably brave and independent people who have completely side-stepped tradition and "Scripture." Essentially, they are powerfully moved by the heart simply to ignore the Quran and its antiChristian and antiJewish recommendations that killing the 'right' people is "okay. The Sufi Al Arabi is famous for his summary, 'Love alone will be my religion.' That is just not 'good' Islam!:):)
***
From Sandi Grubb:
Guess that is why they must be called Sufi as opposed to
Muslim since they no longer seem to qualify!
I like Al Arabi's summary, simple, to the point for all. I wonder why so many people, then, convert to the religion and seem to be good people. American Muslims are not hate filled radicals, but religion is often used to excuse hateful acts. Even Christianity has its apostates who hate gays, blacks, anyone who isn't an 'angry white guy.'
***
Also from Sandi Grubb:
They [rightwing extremists] have done so much to put the
"terror" in "terrorist", haven't they? They seem to
be becoming non-entities, now, even the lame duck is limping more and more
though he tries to remain relevant. But the damage they have done to
the environment, the constitution, to America's reputation in the world, will
be difficult to repair, especially if we get "more of the same" back
in the White House."
***
From Alice Phillips:
Amazing our facing transplants together. My how special we are!!! You bet Doctors are concerned
about the transfer from one to another. I have some creative experiences
with mine. I know very
little about her ( my donor). but I do know I love her. I did write a letter to her
family during Christmas because I knew the approximate time of her death.
I thank her daily!
Shi, thank you for your comments about
depression. I have
experienced it as well. I
love people. I really do,
and so many find fault in my placing so much energy
into another's path. I
never intrude, but I am always ready when called upon. I also love fun! I make everything possible, fun! Surely
laughter is a language we all share.
Please stay close and share this exciting transplant saga.
I am here for you my friend!
Blessings,
Namaste
***
From Asher Aziz of Love Ministries of Pakistan:
Greetings in the matchless name of Jesus!
Thank you very much that you are ready to work with
Pakistani people as it is great opportunity and honor for all of us Pakistani.
And I believe that trough Love Ministries people will know the Love of our
Lord.
On the other hand we are also running a Christian News
Channel (Pakistan Christian News) and it will be great honor for us if you give
us your any Ministry News.
As far as my postal address is Concerned:
Church of Faith
Bethlehem Road
Bahar Colony No,1
Kot Lakhpat
Lahore,54700,Punjab,
Pakistan.
Blessings,
NOTE: If you would like to donate to the orphans for whom Asher is caring directly, a postal money-order can be sent to the address given above, in Pakistan. Thanks-- the Editors.
***
From Rabson Sagana of Love Ministries of Kenya:
Thanks for the prayers of mercy and love that you have shown to us,
the Love ministries here in Kenya and the orphans under our care.
It is a blessing to hear that love ministries is extending its roots to many
parts as David and Thomas are my good brothers in Christ's love.
I love them and I know the too love me as the title of the
ministry say Love, which should be shown to immediate neighbors and
brothers.
I am happy for the Love magazine that will be published.
I also give thanks to all brethren that will be having the prayer of
love and mercy to the desperate needs of the orphans under my care.
pass our love and greetings to all brothers and Sisters Love ministries in
USA and India.
In Christ Love,
***
From Mick Gallagher:
Published on Friday, March 28, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
THE SWIFTBOATING OF BARACK OBAMA
by David Michael Green
If there’s anything I’ve learned about American politics
over the past decade, it’s this: First, regressives will do anything - and I
mean anything - to obtain power (the real purpose of which is to loot the
public first of all items not securely nailed to the floor). And, second, just
about everything they try works when employed against an American public
possessed of stunning political immaturity.
It comes as little surprise, therefore, that two things
happened over the last couple of weeks. One, that Barack Obama was swiftboated
by means of a bogus inference in order to make him look like an angry black
radical. And two, that a lot of dumb voters went for it.
It was pretty inevitable, really. I mean, the guy was
getting rather, um, uppity, if you know what I mean. Winning elections and all.
Mobilizing millions of voters. And so on. Plus he’s talking like he might
actually, really, seriously, shut off the government [supply] of Iraq war no-bid contracts, NAFTA/WTO-based cheap
labor, and massive tax transfers for the hyper-wealthy. This [nonsense] had to
end.
True, John McCain is not quite as reliable a special
interests whore as, say, Mitt Romney, but he knows where his bread is buttered, and
sometimes it seems like he even genuinely believes all the [nonsense] they feed
him. Anyhow, he’s far more controllable than some Democrat, especially one who
seems increasingly able to get voters (with a massive assist from the complete
failure of Bush and the regressive agenda) to cease responding to the cues for
which they’ve been so well trained these last decades. Hear that bell? Salivate
now. We say “Jump”? Ask “How high?” See that grainy image of a black criminal?
Vote Republican. Oh, and please be sure to hand over your wallet before exiting
the building.
No doubt about it, people. The American plutocracy paid good
money to create such a well disciplined voting class, and they’re not about to
let that investment go down the drain without a fight.
The [nonsensical] thing about it, though, is that Obama
hardly gives them anything to work with. I mean, the guy is mild-mannered to a
fault. He’s inspirational when he speaks, never angry and alienating. He was
supposed to be vulnerable for opposing the stupidest foreign policy decision
ever made, but instead all except the most low-wattage voters see Iraq as,
well, the stupidest foreign policy decision ever made. I mean, the guy doesn’t
even really seem "black"!
That only leaves one option remaining, then: Swiftboat the
SOB. Find some tangential pseudo-vulnerability that goes after Obama’s biggest
potential asset and turn it into a negative. Is he coming off to a mesmerized
public as some kind of post-ideological, post-racial-divide healer who could
unite the country and return us to our sanity? Then he must be turned into
Eldrige Cleaver. All that’s needed to complete the picture is a big ‘fro, a
beret and an AK-47 with a menacing tilt to it.
Preposterous? Think it can’t be done? So did I, until I saw
a guy with three Purple Hearts and a Silver Cross turned into a weak, wimpy,
lying coward, in order to make sure that a weak, wimpy, lying coward who went
to Margaritaville instead of the Mekong Delta during the Sixties could be
portrayed as some sort of macho tough guy, and thus steal another four years in
the White House.
Fortunately, Obama is no John Kerry. The latter waited three
weeks to respond to the attacks against him. He might as well have waited three
years. Obama didn’t make the same mistake. And when he did speak, what a tour
de force it was.
The most stunning feature of his speech was the least overt.
This was a speech about his pastor, but that was not its central motif. This
was a discussion of race, of course, but that was not its deepest theme.
What really mattered most about this speech was the way in
which Obama addressed us. American politicians have treated the voting public
with barely concealed contempt for so long now, we’ve largely forgotten what
respectful discourse looks like. On March 18th, Obama reminded us.
Forget about charisma, a very much overrated if not
dangerous characteristic in politicians anyhow. What matters instead is this:
It’s been decades since someone spoke to the public with this much honesty and
sophistication about our society and its choices. It was breathtaking just to
witness that level of esteem pointed in our direction.
All the more so because of the epoch we’ve just survived.
George Bush is far from the only contemptuous politician in recent history, but
he is surely the worst of the lot, and his politics are instructive because of
that.
In Bush’s world, everyone is two-dimensional, at best.
They’re either good or evil. Folks is either with us or with the enemy. In
Bush’s comic book reality, no issue is ever nuanced. There’s only right--
which, remarkably, always happens to be his way-- and there’s wrong. Once asked
if he could name any mistakes he’d made as president, a flustered Bush was
unable to identify even a single one. (I wish I could have been there to assist
him. We probably could have made a dent in it after a week or two.) He cannot
conceive that anyone he’s labeled evil could have legitimate grievances. He
cannot imagine that America could ever have committed any crimes, such as using
violence to achieve political ends.
Or so he acts when he speaks to us. I doubt he truly
believes his own sorry shtick, which of course only makes it far worse.
Nor has the so-called opposition been much better. While
their positions on issues might be slightly more thoughtful (and how could they
be less so?), one has little sense from a John Kerry or a Hillary Clinton that
they can say something just because it is truthful, as opposed to because
they’ve calculated that it’s popular. Theirs is different from Republican
pandering in scale and destructiveness, but not in kind. It is still pandering
for purposes of personal benefit.
And American politics have been deeply impoverished for
decades now because of our politicians’ contempt. Worse, the effect has been
cyclically corrosive. The more of it we get, the more of it we breed.
We live today in a polity characterized by the most unsophisticated
public discourse, one where twenty-second scare ads win elections every time.
And one where attempts at thinking through basic questions-- such as whether
our enemy resides in Afghanistan or Iraq-- are ridiculed as effete intellectual
elitism.
Look what it’s produced for us. Whether it is the federal
debt, falling economic standards, environmental crisis, or our diminished world
standing that we’re discussing-- or, more likely, not discussing-- Americans
have dug themselves into failed policy holes of epic proportions. In very large
part, this is because it’s been mutually convenient for both politicians and
voters alike to indulge in a Potemkin politics of fantasy.
But the stunning sub-text of Obama’s speech is that we can
think of these issues and the people involved in them as more than mere
caricatures. In adopting this posture, he telegraphed to Americans more
respect, and less contempt, than they’ve seen from any politician in three
decades, ever since Reagan seduced them into assisting in their own looting.
When Obama reminded us that his former pastor had not only
bad but also good ideas-- like most anyone, black or white, emerging from the
cauldron of American race relations might-- he treated his listeners with a
dignity and an intellectual esteem largely absent for a generation.
When he rejected the expedient route of completely
disassociating himself from Reverend Wright, he demanded sophistication in our
thinking. He asked us to use our minds rather than our emotional reflexes, and
to invest more energy into determining our own fate than that which is required
for passively imbibing deceitful television ads, cold beer in hand.
When he implored us to reject the divisions of race,
religion and nationality that right-wing politicians have been exploiting for
decades to divert attention from “the real culprits of the middle class
squeeze,” he showed a political courage that is as exemplary as it is rare.
And when he did all of these things-- but especially when he
showed us an intellectual respect that we frankly haven’t often deserved--
Obama demonstrated that he perhaps really might belong in that pantheon of
American political giants that includes Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR and King, but
precious few others.
He also made clear why those who peddle the politics of
contempt have lately shown such desperation to somehow silence his revolution,
a revolution not so much of policy-- Obama is no V.I. Lenin; he’s not even a
Paul Wellstone-- as it is of esteem. Think, for a moment, of the sheer
absurdity of what they are asking you to accept on the face of their argument.
Has this man committed treason, like Scooter Libby, for
example? No. Did he lie to the world at a cost of a million lives, like Bush
and everyone else in his reprobate camp? Uh, no. Has he bankrupted the future
of our children through his environmental, fiscal and foreign policies, like
the entire Republican Party? No, he did not. Heck, is he even guilty of the
heinous crime of [having relations with] an expensive prostitute, like silly
Eliot Spitzer? no.
Barack Obama’s great crime, as the regressive noise machine
(as well as a certain senator from New York) would have you believe it, is
failing to quit a church where the pastor has controversial ideas. Let’s say
this again, because the absurdity of it is so astonishing (as with all
regressive politics, once you look closely). This man is being excoriated for
the crime of failing to quit a church whose pastor has ideas with which he
doesn’t entirely agree. That is why, it is being argued, Obama should be
rejected as a contender to lead America as president.
This, by the way, while John McCain has been actively wooing
televangelist (a modern euphemism for crook) John Hagee for his endorsement,
despite that the good reverend has called Catholicism “a godless theology”,
blamed the Holocaust on Jewish “disobedience and rebellion”, argued that
Katrina was “the judgment of God against New Orleans”, and claimed that the
Koran gives Muslims “a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews”.
Notwithstanding any of those slightly controversial remarks,
McCain sought this clown’s support, got what he wanted, and thus stated at a
campaign event that “I was pleased to have the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee
yesterday”.
If it seems like a helluva logical conundrum that Obama gets
trashed for comments his pastor makes, over which he has no control, while
McCain goes scot-free after seeking the endorsement of a king-size bigot, well
then welcome to Swiftboat Land. Park your brain over there, to the right. By
the same ‘logic’, John Kerry, who went to Nam, became our national security
wimp, while Wee Caligula, who couldn’t even stay sober enough to show up for
the faux service Poppy arranged to keep him out of the jungle, became our tough
commander-in-chief.
Of course, logic has nothing to do with swiftboating, apart
from the crucial requirement that it must be murdered in more ways than
Rasputin was, and buried deep on some distant continent, lest anyone in America
should actually awaken from their regressive-induced stupor long enough to ask
why that emperor dude is running around in his underwear.
In truth, what Reverend Wright said is of as much actual
concern to regressives as was John McCain’s supposed black love-child or Willie
Horton’s crimes. Which is to say none at all. The point is to swiftboat Obama
by injecting race into the campaign and frightening away closet racist voters.
The point of doing that is to win power. And the point of that is to steal your
money and your country.
That’s why Obama’s ‘revolution’ represents that most
threatening commodity of all for those who employ contemptuous deceit to mask
“economic policies that favor the few over the many,” as he accurately labeled
it.
It’s a revolution, ultimately, of respect-- and that’s
really dangerous. For the first time in a very long time, a presidential
candidate is speaking to Americans as if they were grown-ups.
We’re about to find out if anyone is listening.
David Michael Green is a
professor of political science at Hofstra University in New York. He is
delighted to receive readers’ reactions to his articles (mailto:dmg@regressiveantidote.net),
but regrets that time constraints do not always allow him to respond. More of
his work can be found at his website, www.regressiveantidote.net.
*****
*****
BEWARE "BEST BUY,"
sent in by Nathan Merritt
Best Buy has some bad
policies....
Normally, I would not share this with others, however, since this could happen
to you or your friends , I decided to share it. If you purchase something from,
Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, JC Penny, Sears etc. and
you return the item with the receipt they will give you your money back if you
paid cash, or credit your account if paid by plastic.
Well, I purchased a GPS for my car, a Tom Tom XL.S from "Best Buy". They have a policy that it must be returned
within 14 days for a refund!
So after 4 days I returned it in the original box with all the items in the
box, with paper work and cords all wrapped in the plastic. Just as I received
it, including the receipt.
I explained to the lady at the return desk I did not
like the way it could not find store names. The lady at the refund desk
said, there is a 15% restock fee, for items returned. I said no one told me
that. I said how much would that be. She said it goes by the price of the item.
It will be $45.00 Dollars for you. I said, all your going to do is walk over
and place it back on the shelf then charge me $45.00 of my money for
restocking? She said that's the store policy. I said if more people were aware
of it they would not buy anything here! If I bought a $2000.00 computer or TV
and returned it I would be charged $300.00 dollars restock fee? She said yes,
15%.
I said OK, just give me my money minus the restock fee.
She said that since the item was over $200, she couldn't give me my money back!!!
She said that "Corporate had to give me my return, and they would mail me
a check in 7 to ten days.!! I said "WHAT?!"
It's my money!! I paid in cash! I want to buy a different brand. Now I have to wait 7 to 10 days. She
said well, our policy is on the back of your receipt.
I said, do you read the front or back of your receipt? She said well, the
front! I said so do I, I want to talk to the Manager!.
So the manager comes over, I explained everything to him, and he said, well,
sir they should of told you about the policy when you got the item. I said, No
one, has ever told me about the check refund or restock fee, whenever I bought
items from computers to TVs from Best Buy. The
only thing they ever discussed was the worthless extended warranty program. He
said Well, I can give you the corporate phone number.
I called corporate. The guy said, well, I'm not supposed to do this but I can
give you a 45.00 dollar gift card and you can use it at Best Buy. I told him if I bought something and
returned it, you would charge me a restock fee on the item and then send me a
check for the remaining 3 dollars. You can keep your gift card, I'm never
shopping at Best Buy ever again, and if I
would've been smart, I would've charged the whole thing on my credit
card! Then I would have canceled the transaction.
I would have gotten all my money back including your stupid fees! He didn't say
a word!
I informed him that I was going to e-mail my friends and give them a heads up
on this stores policy, as they don't tell you about all the little caveats.
So please pass this on. It might save your friends from having a bad experience
of shopping at Best Buy.
*****
*****
AREA CODE WARNING,
sent in by Jim Dwyer
We actually received a call last week from the
809 area code. The
woman said, "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you.
Get back to us quickly. I
Have something important to tell you." Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809. . We didn't respond'. Then this week, we received the following
e-mail: Subject: DONT DIAL AREA
CODE 809 , 284 AND 876
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T DIAL AREA
CODE 809
This one is being distributed all over the US . This is pretty scary,
especially given the way they try to get you to call.
Be sure you read this and pass it on.
They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family
member who has been ill or to tell you someone has-been arrested, died, or to
let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc.
In each case, you are told to call the 809
number right away. Since there are so many new area codes, people
unknowingly return these calls.
If you call from the US , you will apparently be charged $2425
per-minute.
Or, you'll get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you
on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when
you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $24,100.00
WHY IT WORKS:
The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands
(The Bahamas). the Dominican actually.
The charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's
because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone
company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will
most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign
company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have
done nothing wrong.
Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to
help them become aware of this scam
Sandi Van Handel
AT&T Field Service Manager
(920)687-904
Additional information on these area codes can be found from ATT at:
http ://
www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/areacode.html*****
*****
NATURAL PESTREPELLENTS, sent in by Chris Finer
ants - cinnamon, bay leaves, cayenne pepper or baby powder
cockroaches - equal parts baking soda and confectioner sugar
mice - cotton dipped in peppermint oil or used kitty litter
mosquitoes - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar in a glass of water
placed in area. also lavender oil dabbed on wrist and elbows
flies - crushed mint in small sachets. also a potted
sweet basil plant
the info is from AARP
If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito!
*****
*****
TIPS ON PUMPING
GAS, sent in by Nathan Merritt
My line of work is in
petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of
your money's worth for every gallon:
Here we deliver about 4 million
gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next
day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have
34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Only buy or fill up your car or
truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have
their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline; when
it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening, your
gallon is not exactly a gallon. In
the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the
gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an
important role.
A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have
temperature compensation at the pumps.
When you're filling up do not
squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that
the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should
be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while
you are pumping. All hoses at the
pump have a vapor return. If you
are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your
tank becomes vapor. Those vapors
are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting
less petrol for your money.
One of the most important tips is
to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you
have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates extremely fast.
Gasoline storage tanks have an
internal floating roof. This roof
serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes
the evaporation. Unlike service
stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature
compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.
Another reminder, if there is a
gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT
fill up. Most likely the gasoline
is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some
of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you
get the most value for your money.
DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!
WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS
VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON
Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might
even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return
the favor.
An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.
Every time you fill up the car,
you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia . Just
buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.
Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the
tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and
my friends.
I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the
best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.
These companies import Middle
Eastern oil:
Shell.......................... 205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon/Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway... 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco...........................62,231,000 barrels
If you do the math at $30/barrel,
these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel
Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:
Sunoco.................0 barrels
Conoco................ .0 barrels
Sinclair.................0 barrels
BP/Phillips.............0 barrels
Hess.....................0 barrels
ARC0....................0 barrels
If you go to Sunoco.com < http://sunoco.com/> , you will
get a list of the station locations near you.
All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is
required to state where they get their oil and how much they are
importing.
But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers. It's really simple to
do.
Now, don't wimp out at this point.... keep reading and I'll explain how simple
it is to reach millions of people!!
I'm sending this note to about
thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10
= 300)...and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) .. and
so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will
have reached over THREE MILLION consumers !!!!!!! If those three million
get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people
will have been contacted!
If it goes one level further, you guessed it ..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION
PEOPLE!!!
Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. How long would that take?
*****
*****
From World Science
* Pollution may
make birds change their tune:
Nothing like a birdsong to remind you of nature's
glory, right? Maybe not quite, according to rather
creepy new findings.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080228_birdsong
* After
jeers, some recognition for "reverse
evolution" theorist:
A leading scientific journal is set to publish work
by a controversial researcher of people who walk on
all fours.
http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080303_unertan
* Study:
media misconstrues blues as
"chemical imbalance"
An ancient, but unsupported notion about depression
still finds its way into many news reports, a study
has found.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080304_depression
* Dark
energy, or just dust? Findings raise
questions:
Tiny whiskers of carbon in space may explain
puzzling observations usually attributed to a
mysterious force, researchers say.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080301_graphite
* Brain
workings linked to parental instinct:
Infant faces spark a flurry of activity in a key
brain region, researchers have found.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080228_parent
****************************************************
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* The
evolution of drug abuse:
New research challenges traditional explanations of
why we wallow in chemical gratification.
http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080321_drug-evolution
* Blast called
furthest thing visible to naked eye:
Halfway across the known cosmos, scientists say, a
massive stellar explosion March 19 was briefly
visible to unaided eyes.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080320_grb
* Distant moon
may have hidden ocean:
Scientists are reporting evidence of a vast body of
water and ammonia inside Saturn's moon Titan.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080320_titan
* Money
might buy happiness -- when you spend
on others:
People report greater happiness if they spend money
on gifts or charity, researchers say.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080320_happiness
* Drive to
complexity seen in animal evolution:
A study claims to clarify a longtime debate: does
evolution have long-term trends?
* Hunting was just final straw for
mammoth,
study finds:
Does the human species have mammoth blood on its
hands? Scientists have long debated it.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080331_mammoth