Michael J Fox has Parkinson’s disease. This is a fact that has been known for quite some time. Michael has also been supporting political candidates (mostly Democratic) who have spoken out in favor of stem cell research, which holds great promise in finding an effective cure for Parkinson’s disease and a host of other diseases.
He appeared in a political commercial for a candidate in Missouri, giving his support to her because of her stand on stem cell research. In the commercial he exhibited the most visible signs of the disease, namely uncontrollable shaking.
Rush Limbaugh, a radio talk show host, known for his conservative views, accused Michael of either acting (because of his pronounced involuntary movements) or neglecting to take his medication before taping the commercial. This accusation of course prompted a denial response from Michael J Fox. The sequence of events is portrayed in the video clip below:
Stem Cell research is a hot political topic. President Bush authorized only limited federally sponsored research using existing stem cell lines. Opponents, convinced of the potential to cure numerous diseases, have advocated for greater government involvement in funding and the relaxation of rules restricting research in this area. For more information on this topic, check out the links below:
The following was an article written by Charith Jayasinghe, a Buddhist. His eloquence and sincerity shine throughout this piece. Visit his column at Newsvine
Why I Love Being a Buddhist
A statue of Lord Buddha in Mihintale, Sri Lanka.
Buddhism is probably the only religion that I personally could follow. This is probably because Buddhism is more of a philosophy really than a religion. It does not deal with the unexplainable, such as origins. It doesn’t contradict anything in the modern world. It is open to interpretation. All it does is provide guidelines for living a peaceful life. Basically, I love being a Buddhist.
Since the only thing most of my American friends know about Buddhists is that they meditate, let’s start with some brief history. Sidhartha Gautama was an Indian prince born around 563 BC in present day Lumbini, Nepal. The prince spent most of his early life in luxury, sheltered from the real world. Legend has it that when Sidhartha happened to see a sick, dying old man on the street he decided to leave his sheltered life and learn about the world around him. He left his palace and traveled, learning from several monks. In an attempt to understand the world better, Sidhartha decided to fast and do nothing but meditate. Well, as most of us know, you can’t really think on an empty stomach, and this method failed Sidhartha. Seeing as that both the luxurious life and the starved life had left him without enlightenment, Sidhartha had come to the conclusion that one should live a life of moderation, saying that one should follow the Middle Path, which states that one should avoid extremes, whether they be of pleasing oneself or depriving oneself, and should live life moderately. It is through this path that Sidhartha achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree . There are currently two main branches of Buddhism, Therevada and Mahayana. Theravada more directly follows the original teachings of Lord Buddha, while Mahayana differs slightly in certain areas and has certain different philosophies.
Buddhism teaches what is known as the *Noble Eightfold Path*.
Right Understanding - Understand what is right.
Right Thought - Think right thoughts.
Right Speech - Say right things.
Right Action - Do right actions.
Right Livelihood - Live right.
Right Effort - Make an effort to rid yourself of bad qualities and gain right ones
Right Mindfulness - Focus on the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities in order to put away distress in each area.
Right Concentration - Be mindful and alert, avoiding the extremities of life and living moderately.
While Buddhism provides guidelines for how one should live ones life, I find it to be less dictating than other religions. Buddhism encourages followers to consider the teachings and how they apply to one’s life, almost like saying “but don’t take my word for it, think about it yourself.”
It should be understood that Buddha is by no means a god or higher power, to put it simply, Buddha was just a guy who happened to know what he was talking about. Because of this Buddhism is one of the few religions that has absolutely no conflict with the modern scientific world. Buddhism does touch on reincarnation, however this is mostly part of Hinduism that happened to cling on, and isn’t a main tenet in Buddhism. There are no promises of punishment for not following the guidelines of Buddhist philosophy; there is no hell, or heaven either for that matter. One should follow a moral code for the benefit of becoming a better and more content person. Buddhism is really more of a list of life suggestions, or a “How to Live Contently”. Buddhism sticks to what I think a religion should just stick it, providing a moral code for one to live a healthy life.
I am truly grateful for being born into a Buddhist family, because the Buddhist religion seems to cater to me perfectly. It’s the only religion that is not too dogmatic for me to handle, and the philosophical and moral teachings seem to work for me. I love being a Buddhist.
The singer Bob Marley will be forever identified with Reggae music and his religion Rastafarianism. He was the best known Rastaman in the world. Rastafarians have a very distinctive hair style called Dreads or Locks and look to Haile Salassie(born Tafari Makonnen) as their leader.
The Life of Haile Salassie
Tafari Makonnen was born on the 16th Hamle 1884 by the Ethiopian Calendar which corresponds to July 23rd 1892. He was the only one of ten siblings to survive childhood. His mother died before his second birthday and he was raised by his father’s cousin. At the age of thirteen he was given his first region to rule. He married at age 19 and had six children. After a series of governorships in various regions, he was crowned Emperor Haile Salassie(meaning Power of the Trinity) I, on Nov. 2nd 1930.
Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935. Haile Salassie went into exile in 1936. In 1941 he returned and with the help of British troops defeated the Italians. He ruled Ethiopia until 1974 when he was overthrown in an army coup. He died in Addis Ababa on Aug. 27th 1975.
Birth of Rastafarianism
The Rastafari Movement began in Jamaica in the early 1930’s amongst poor and working class black people. Some of the titles attributed to Haile Salassie such as:
King of Kings
Conquering Lion of Judah
Lord of Lords
Elect of God
Power of the Trinity
insinuated a an association with religious connotations. His status as the only Ruler of an Independent Black Country caught the attention of many. However other factors such as the ritual use of marijuana and the emergence of Afro-centric philosophers like Marcus Garvey gave rise to the popularity of Rastafarianism.
Rastafarian Beliefs
What Rastas believe vary a great deal. However there are some things that all Rastas have in common:
The Divinity of Haile Salassie. Salassie claims to trace his ancestry back to King Solomon of Israel and Rastas look upon him as Jah (Jehovah) or God. Selassie himself neither affirmed nor denied this claim.
The use of Marijuana (or ganja) as a religious sacrament. They believe that its use aids in meditation and wisdom.
Special (Ital) Diet that excludes the use of all meat(especially pork). They avoid predatory and scavenger species of marine life. Salt and many household spices are also not used.
The Growing of Dreadlocks. They do not believe that hair should be cut or combed.
Ethiopia is the Paradise and the Homeland to which all the faithful will return someday.
From its humble beginnings in Jamaica, Rastafarianism has grown to include many of all nationalities and races. Some have migrated to Ethiopia as told in this interview.
The most powerful expression of Rastafarainism can be seen in Reggae Music. It is music that often criticizes the economic and political structure of the world today as being corrupt and oppressive to minorities, and strives to promote a more just society. The following song by Bob Marley articulates this frustration with the world but holds out hope for the future:
“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds” - Bob Marley
As we all know by now the Military Commissions Act of 2006 was made law by George W Bush on October 17 2006. For brief overview of the issues involved click here . Keith Olbermann of MSNBC uses US Historical Events to explain why this law is so dangerous. He uses the words and actions of past Presidents and George Bush himself to dispute the wisdom of signing this bill into law. See video below.
“With the distance of history, the questions will be narrowed and few: Did this generation of Americans take the threat seriously, and did we do what it takes to defeat that threat?” George W. Bush
“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety” Benjamin Franklin
Habeas Corpus……Gone!
The Geneva Conventions……Optional!
The moral force we shined outwards to the world as an eternal beacon and inwards at ourselves as an eternal protection……Snuffed Out!
These things you have done Mr. Bush! Keith Olbermann
President Bush promised a “A grave consequence” to North Korea if it tried to export nuclear weapons to either Iran or Al-Qaida. At this point I think it is pretty clear that the US has very limited options with regards to North Korea. A military strike seems to be out of the question, if for no other reason than it shares a border with China. The Chinese would not take kindly to any kind of display of American Power on its doorsteps. For this same reason an armed invasion of the country is even less likely.
So what are the “grave consequences” that the President is talking about? A blockade? An embargo? none of which is likely to have any effect without the active participation of the Chinese. China has displayed concern over the actions of North Korea but has essentially done nothing to punish them. In fact China is the one country that could choke the economic life out of North Korea and has been reticent to even vote for sanctions against its neighbor and trading partner.
When you refuse to engage in direct talks with your enemy you limit severely what options you have to influence its behavior. This is the position that America finds itself in. North Korea has been asking for direct talks with the US for years now but to no avail. Bush has refused to deal one on one with them. He has blessed multinational talks which have gone nowhere and have resulted in North Korea testing a nuclear bomb.
In fact America has helped North Korea with the technology and hardware to develop nuclear armaments. The following video implicates Donald Rumsfeld as a director of a company that sold nuclear reactors to North Korea. Now North Korea has the dubious distinction of belonging to two very elite clubs…..The “Axis of Evil Club” and the “Nuclear Weapons Club“.
In reality there is nothing much anyone (except maybe China) can do or say that will have an impact on the decisions that North Korea makes. It is already an isolated, poor country. What can you take away from someone who has nothing?
The real question is what lessons will other countries learn (especially Iran) from this? Has the US lost much of its influence in the world and will this experience cause others to wonder why it is not in theirbest national interest to pursue the development of nuclear weapons technology? Is this the beginning of a new nuclear arms race?
“By allowing our intelligence professionals to continue this vital program, this bill will save American lives.”George W. Bush
“This nation is patient and decent and fair and we will never back down from the threats to our freedom,”George W. Bush
President Bush has signed the “Terror Bill” passed by Congress earlier this month. It is now LAW.
This law was designed to allow the US to bring to trial those captured and detained in the war against terror. These prisoners have been held in custody in Guantanamo Bay and other secret CIA locations around the world.
It also allows the CIA to resume certain types of:
“tough interrogation tactics while outlawing others”
This new law is the result of a Supreme Court ruling that special tribunals setup by the government to try terror suspects:
“violated U.S. and international laws and needed explicit authorization from Congress.”
So President Bush went to Congress, they wrote this new bill and he signed it into law. Some of the provisions in this law include:
Barring detainees from challenging their detention in courts (Habeas Corpus)
Protecting prisoners from blatant abuses during questioning like rape torture and “cruel and inhuman treatment”
Prisoners don’t have to be granted a lawyer
Hearsay will be allowed as long as the judge deems it reliable
Evidence obtained through coercion is permitted
Some of the prisoners awaiting trial include:
Omar Kahdr - Captured in Afghanistan, accused of murdering a US medic in 2002
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - Accused of the Sept. 11 mastermind
Ramzi Binalshibh - An alleged would be 9/11 hijacker
Abu Zubaydah - Accused of being Osama Ben Laden’s link to many Al-Qaida cells
24 Other Detainees either at Guantanamo or secret CIA prisons around the world
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) issued the following statement (full text here) regarding this new law:
“The legislation signed by the President today violates basic principles and values of our constitutional system of government. It allows the government to seize individuals on American soil and detain them indefinitely with no opportunity to challenge their detention in court.
There are many who are against this law:
Civil libertarians and leading Democrats decried the law as a violation of American values. The American Civil Liberties Union said it was “one of the worst civil liberties measures ever enacted in American history.”
Many experts think that this law is headed right back to the Supreme Court on grounds that it violates the US Constitution.
Have you everbeen caught up in the Justice System? I don’t necessarily mean charged with a serious crime (although this fits in as well) but maybe a parking ticket, a speeding ticket, a fine for littering, basically anything at all that potentially requires a trip to the courthouse? Most of us have.
I was once pulled over for passing a stop sign. Of course I was innocent which I tried to explain to the police officer (who gave me a ticket anyway ). On the ticket the procedures on how to plead innocent or guilty were explained. I was accused of a moving violation and if I pleaded guilty I would have to pay fine and have “points” applied to my license. This was not very appealing to me so I decided to plead not guilty and take the matter to court. I expected to have to go before the judge and explain why I was not guilty. I did not go with high expectations because my accuser was an officer of the law.
I went to court on the appointed day, took my seat and waited for my turn. Before they could call me to see the judge the same police officer, who had given me the ticket, called me aside to discuss the matter. He explained that even though he thought I was guilty, he would give me a break if I was to plead guilty to a lesser charge. I would have to pay a small fine and there would be no points on my license. I agreed because I felt that the judge would be more likely to believe his story than mine, and after all I would have no points on my license. We went before the judge and I plead guilty to parking the car illegally. I paid the fine and left the courthouse with my license untouched. I felt very lucky and was happy I had decided to take the matter to court.
This is what is called a plea bargain. In return for my guilty plea I received a less harsh punishment. However, as it turns out, the officer did not offer me this deal out of the kindness of his heart. He did it to expedite the case and still win a conviction. On the other hand I took the deal because I only ended up with a fine. The court went along with the deal so that the matter could be closed expeditiously. Everybody benefited. But was justice really served? Was an innocent man convinced to plead guilty. Did both the policeman and the court serve the law?
State Troopers ( in New York State) are now powerless to make “deals” with motorists following the adoption of a new Police Policy which prohibits officers from reaching plea bargain agreements. This has prompted the introduction of new legislation and much discussion. One judge decided to dismiss all the tickets in front of him after the implementation of this new policy. This has landed him in trouble. However this matter is resolved, it seems likely that the police will not be so anxious to offer deals to motorists any more. I guess I was really lucky that my case came up before this new policy took effect.
I was shocked to see this video of Chinese soldiers killing Tibetan pilgrims on a journey to see Tenzin Gyatso, the XIV Dalai Lama, in India. It was taken by a Romanian TV cameraman in the Himalayas. It shows Chinese soldiers using these pilgrims for target practice and killing them in cold blood.
This is just another manifestation of the Chinese government’s brutal repression of the Tibetan people. In 1959 they occupied the country and forced the Dalai Lama into exile. Ever since then he has been a unwavering voice against the oppression of his people.
The XIV Dalai Lama is the Head of State and Spiritual Leader of Tibet. He is probably one of the most recognised world leaders. He has worked tirelessly for the Tibetan people and been very outspoken against injustice in the world. He has received numerous awards and honors from dozens of countries and, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989
Tenzin Gyatso was born in 1935 in the village of Taktser, Tibet. At the age of three he was declared to be the fourteenth reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. He became the Tibetan Head of State in 1950. After the Tibetan National Uprising against the Chinese in 1959, he was forced into exile in India. He still lives there today and has established a Tibetan government in exile. He has travelled extensively throughout the world to highlight the situation of the Tibetan people. He is also an author of several books. In response to the question: “How do you view yourself?” his reply is:
I always consider myself as a simple Buddhist monk. I feel that is the real me. I feel that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a man-made institution. As long as the people accept the Dalai Lama, they will accept me. But being a monk is something which belongs to me. No one can change that. Deep down inside, I always consider myself a monk, even in my dreams. So naturally I feel myself as more of a religious person.
He shows the genuine humility of a Great Man. See more at his Official Website.
Islam is probably the most misunderstood religion in America. It has virtually become a synonym for terrorism. I wonder how many people have actually taken the time to find out what it means to be Muslim? The Dalai Lama, a Buddhist and Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, recognized this and had the following comment:
Muslims are being unfairly stigmatized as a result of violence by “some mischievous people,” said the Dalai Lama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his work to bring democracy and freedom to his people. All religions have extremists and “it is wrong to generalize (about Muslims),” the 71-year-old spiritual leader said.
Terrorism is as much a part of Islam as the KKK is a part of the Christian Church. They both do not represent religious organizations. Both Muslims and Christians believe in one God and have many similar practices.
Both religions have many factions or sects. We often hear about the Sunnis and Shiites in Islam. The Sunnis are the largest sect and represent the majority of all Muslims. The Shiites are a minority everywhere except in Iran. Below is a list of the major Muslim sects. For more information on each one a link is provided.
I ran across This article recently that dealt with the scientific reasons for having sex. Apparently there are many:
It helps boost the Immune System
It helps boost Longevity
It wards off Cancer
It results in a more Youthful Appearance
It helps Reduce Stress
It helps Fight Depression
It helps coping with Middle Age
It is Good Exercise
After going through the list it occurred to me that they may just have missed one more very good scientific benefit of having sex……...Making Babies!!
The article did briefly mention that there were reasons for not having sex. These included the transmission of disease and a heart attack due to over exertion.
which I tried to explain to the police officer (who gave me a ticket anyway 
). On the ticket the procedures on how to plead innocent or guilty were explained. I was accused of a moving violation and if I pleaded guilty I would have to pay fine and have “points” applied to my license. This was not very appealing to me so I decided to plead not guilty and take the matter to court. I expected to have to go before the judge and explain why I was not guilty. I did not go with high expectations because my accuser was an officer of the law.
