LAST WILL AND TESTICLE

We must practice somehow to see the good in George Bush, and lift him with our thoughts and prayers. He needs them, for our conception of him is what will become our reality. That said, I know my article here will sound contradictory. But it tells the truth. BUSH'S LAST WILL AND TESTICLE the article I wrote in March, lists many of Bush's crimes you may have forgotten about — in case you need to refresh your memory. I admit this title is provocative, but please take it in the spirit of comedy — in the midst of tragedy. So many crimes, so little time...Why is Bush allowed to roam free, let alone speak in public?


Does Bush really think 20,000 soldiers in a city of over 5 million is going to make a difference? More of the same? This is about saving face for him, since the Iraq War is HIS WAR, the only thing he's done in 6 years. The Iraq Study Group offered him an intervention, a way out, but he was too narcissistic to listen. Read more below, but first this:

Nominations are open again for the KOUFAX AWARDS. Please vote if you wish in the Koufax Awards for Best Blog, Best Writing or Best Post, Wider Recognition, etc.

If you need it, here is the URL for BUSH'S LAST WILL AND TESTICLE which was published on my blog, which you can paste into comment section at Koufax http://www.maconareaonline.com/news.asp?id=13664

Vote here by leaving a comment in the comment section. You can vote for a blog only once but in several categories.
KOUFAX

Larisa Alexandrovna of Raw Story and at largely has a great take on Bush's speech tonight.

One year ago I was in Palm Springs at a Christmas parade watching the young ROTC troops marching by, looking as young as 12-year-olds. (Everyone seems 12 to me these days, maybe because my sons are around this age.) Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I could not stop crying over the war in Iraq, the hate mail and death threats I had received — and the over-all feeling that by speaking out against the war — I was somehow not supporting the troops; I was somehow "unpatriotic."

But sometime last year — during that bizarre episode in which I wrote an article about Ann Coulter DEATH IS SEXIER THAN SEX (TO ANN COULTER) and in retaliation, Coulter published my home number on her website along with the cryptic admonition: "Death is certainly sexier than Lydia Cornell" (which opened up a flood of mail from Americans and Europeans, both pro and con) — I went deep down the dark well of fear and loneliness. I was literally threatened in emails and on the phone at all hours of the day and night. One man yelled at me that since I was a Democrat, I must be a baby-killer and should be shot!" ( I guess he wrongly thought I was pro-abortion. Again, I don't know a single soul who is pro-abortion.) Another email expressed the wish that I should have been killed in the WTC attacks. And on more than one occasion, an angry stranger pounded on my front door; another stole our mail, and another lit our trash cans on fire and threw the lighter into our yard.

But the phone calls and countless letters of love I received overwhelmed the hateful ones. And then I received an incredible gift: a Purple Heart from a Marine combat vet. His name is John Conley and he sent me the most precious medal awarded to him for his bravery and wounds in the Vietnam War. He wanted me to have it for my courage in speaking out. This blew away the doubts I had about what I was doing, whether I was on the right track. Conley is a deep thinker and devout Christian who is as appalled as I am at this very un-Christian war Bush is waging in Iraq. But we knew all along it was a bad choice, this war. We ALL knew all along it was the wrong war.

The republicans are just waking up. Why so late? I heard on Tom Hartman today that Bush is one of those neanderthal non-thinkers who believes EVERYTHING CAN BE SOLVED BY KILLING! He loves to kill. As governor of Texas he unblinkingly signed more execution orders than any governor in U.S. history. He'd rather bomb an entire city block just to catch one bad guy, than to try diplomacy! Why? Because, heck it's just easier, and it probably gives him a more powerful feeling.... than using his brain.

Who can stop Bush, this madman and war criminal; this deciever who is driving our nation straight down to destruction? Why does an unevolved moron get to be the leader of the free world? Why do we allow him to remain in office after all the lies? Why does he get to singlehandedly kill more of our young, precious troops? WHY??????? I am so angry I can't breathe sometimes.

I was unable to talk to anyone about this but my fellow left-wingers — but it was equally hard to talk about my faith. In light of all the right-wing Christian hate-mongering, I walked around excusing my faith whenever it came up by saying "I'm a Democrat, but I pray." As it turns out, there are many more of us than I knew.

The central, defining moment of my life was 12 years ago on September 11, when I surrendered to a power greater than myself and took the leap of believing in God, on a personal level. Religion aside, it takes a certain amount of "blind faith" and willingness in order to activate the magic in one's life. Faith itself opens the door to wondrous things. I knew God was the force of love in the universe, and not the harsh, judgmental anthropomorphic version the fundamentalists believe in.

I was picked up and transformed so completely, that I hardly recognize myself today. My life now is defined by my absolute conviction that God exists, but PLEASE — not the god of fundamentalism or dogma or religiosity. Overtly Christian people who talked about Jesus all the time were such a turn-off to all of us, and so focused on all the wrong things — I couldn’t very well talk to most liberal bloggers I knew at that early stage of blogging. Thanks to Dennis Taylor, John Conley, hundreds of my own bloggers here — as well as Jim Wallis' Sojourners and Rabbi Lerner's Tikkun — spiritual progressives are coming out of the woodwork in droves. As my sweet mother said, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if people would express love before they start evangelizing?" Or something like that. I'll get the quote later.
xo

THE COLOR PURPLE

The red and blue states are having a hard time becoming purple. But since Halle Berry is perfectly blended, why aren't we? She's the most beautiful combination of black and white, which goes to show that we are not meant to be divided. We are meant to be integrated as a nation, for the whole is better than the sum of its parts. This is a metaphor and I'm not speaking literally about integrating the races, though I do think we need to become color blind.

At least Nancy Pelosi wore purple on her first day as the first female SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. I believe she meant this as a sign of uniting red and blue, but she may have worn purple for a specific reason: it's the color of the Suffragette movement.

I could not believe Tucker Carlson was playing so dumb the other day, saying "I don't understand the big deal about Nancy Pelosi, why is everyone saying it's such a big deal that she's a woman?"

"This is an historic moment - for the Congress, and for the women of this country. It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. But women weren't just waiting; women were working. Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling. Nancy Pelosi

Why I Am A Liberal And A Progressive And A Democrat by digby
I am a liberal because it is the political philosophy of freedom and equality. And I am a progressive because it is the political path to a better future. And I am a Democrat because it is the political party that believes in freedom, equality and progress.

More to come...

THE DAWN of HOPE

Here's wishing you all a happy, prosperous, peaceful New Year.

I felt a shift yesterday on my way to a meeting. A shift in my own consciousness, and the words came very loudly: "This is finished. You are now free." I'll expound on what this means later, but I feel that a dark cloud has lifted and hell is over.

This is a thought universe. Consider the material world as the clay which the artist works with, to make of it something beautiful or ugly. We need not fear material things, which are neither good nor bad in the moral sense. There seems to be no active force for evil — outside of human beings themselves. Humans alone can have either evil intentions — resentments, malevolence, hate and revenge — or good intentions — LOVE and GOODWILL. This is God: the energy of love. We can make something beautiful out of the clay of our lives. It's up to us. But avoid fear as you would a plague.

Shed peace, not discord, wherever you go. Try to be part of the cure for every situation rather than part of the problem. Try to ignore evil, rather than to actively combat it. (This diminishes it.) Always try to build up, never to tear down.

We hope 2007 will be a year of peace and love in your homes and throughout the world.

May each of us endeavor to express compassion, understanding, integrity and honesty in all our dealings with our fellow man and in all our activities.

If we are wrong, if we have made a mistake or offended anyone, let us admit it promptly, ask for forgiveness and make amends.

Let us keep Love (God) foremost in our thoughts and prayers, pray daily for guidance, and be willing to take
whatever human footsteps we need to take to improve our lives, our relationships, our fnancial situations, our talents, our mental and physical health.

"Progress is the Law of God," and we pray that you experience much progress in your daily lives throughout the New Year and always.

Wishing you a MOST HAPPY, PEACEFUL AND FRUITFUL NEW YEAR!

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS. Prayer is focusing so completely on the good, that good becomes all you see. We have to become willing to put on a new pair of glasses and adopt a new point of view.
Fear = False Evidence Appearing Real. Love (God) casts out fear.

This is an open thread. I will add to this post later today.

GERALD FORD STUNS THE WORLD * EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT!!

God Bless Betty Ford and R.I.P. Gerald, who seems to be speaking from the grave with his shocking post-mortem tape. I adore Betty, and have always liked Gerald Ford for his humility and integrity. More on the Ford tape below.

I am thrilled that John Edwards has thrown his hat into the ring! He is such an honest, hard-working all-American patriot and visionary with real solutions for America. I love both Edwards and Gore. Obama and Hilary are equally qualified, but Edwards or Gore have a better chance of winning.

Breaking News: A new Associated Press poll has Bush as the NUMBER ONE VILLAN OF 2006. One out of four Americans chose Bush.

AP's Poll the breakdown; Biggest Villain 2006
Bush.......25%
Bin Laden..8%
Saddam.....6%
Pres. of Iran..5%
Dictator of Korea..2%
Satan.......1%

From Clif: "Bush is worse than Saddam, Kim Il Jung, Ahmadinejad, Bin forgotten, and EVEN Satan."

I just watched Chris Matthews interview David Gergen on Gerald Ford's stunning admission that the Bush administration made a catastrophic mistake in invading Iraq under the guise of routing out "weapons of mass destruction." Ford's taped interview was released upon his death; he would not allow it to be released while he was alive. He really sounds disgusted by the neocons.

Gergen said that there is a big difference between a true Republican -- and a neo conservative like Rumsfield and Cheney, who both played prominent roles in Ford's administration. Gergen said that everyone has noticed an astonishing change in Dick Cheney; he is not the man he was. It almost sounded as if he was saying Cheney has been posssessed by some demon. He did say "Once Cheney was made CEO of Haliburton, maybe he acquired CEO-itis." In any case, it was not a compliment. The implication is that Cheney and the Bush neocons have taken the country down a very dark path, fueled by greed and fear.

Gerald Ford and his courageous wife Betty are true heroes of mine. Betty Ford's honesty in admitting her alcoholism, and establishing the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage has helped countless people admit their own helplessness in this devastating disease.

I am posting Step 11 shortly. My favorite step.

Christmas wrap up: In our house, I do all the cooking, baking and housework — so it's not easy keeping up with the blog. Right before Christmas I scrubbed the house from top to toe, getting behind every piece of furniture and literally washing the woodwork by hand. My sweet husband strung icicle lights all around the house and then proceeded to accidentally hose down the boxes of kids' gifts which were hidden on our side porch. After I calmed down, we went to Costco to use the gift certificate my mom and Chuck sent us. WE LOVE YOU GUYS! My sister hung out all day on Christmas and helped the kids put their gifts together. We are so blessed to have each other. We are one of the few houses in our neighborhood with Christmas lights. My son is going to 6 Barmitzvahs this year; I wish we, as Protestants, had this ritual for our boys on the verge-of-manhood.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

RETRACTION and APOLOGY

Jeffrey Cohen is a wonderful attorney, and I would want him on my team. I apologize to him for any perceived misunderstandings, or implications in this blog that he is anything less than an upright, ethical, sober and responsible attorney.

I did not post Jeffrey Cohen's name on this blog in connection with any statements. I certainly do not remember doing so and can't imagine ever having done such a thing. Attorneys names are never mentioned here, and if they are posted accidentally, they are deleted it immediately — as I cannot find it now anywhere on the web, in my files or on blogger itself. In fact, I contacted the webmaster who publishes my items and posted my own statement back in August reprimanding the National Enquirer for defaming my character, and he has no record of Jeffrey Cohen's name anywhere in all my web postings. No one remembers seeing his name posted here.

That said, if his name was mistakenly printed, it was immediately retracted, and there exists no record of it anywhere on the internet. At the time, I was being viciously attacked and slandered on my own blog by a certain "Anonymous"* poster (see below). The blog referred to was deleted within minutes of being posted, so no one could have seen it except the attackers themselves.

Jeffrey Cohen is not the most "corrupt of all crooks" attorney that may have been anonymously referred to in that long-deleted posting, and if that was the impression taken, I deeply apologize. Nothing was said with malice; every impression gathered of the attorneys involved in the case was based on heresay.

If I ever gave the impression that I believed Jeffrey Cohen was disbarred, reprimanded or had drug problems, I also apologize. It has been brought to my attention that Mr. Cohen has never been reprimanded for unethical tactics nor has he been disbarred for corruption and drug abuse. At the time I may have believed these things based on heresay, which I now realize is false, and was not meant to implicate Mr. Cohen or cause him any problems. A blog is a personal opinion journal that often contains mistakes. Again, the immediate deletion of said blog, is evidence that the entire article was already retracted back in August.

Again, Jeffrey Cohen is a wonderful attorney, and I would want him on my team. I hope this clears up any mistakes or misunderstanding.

For the past few months I've received malicious taunts and cruel comments on my blog by a person posing as "Anonymous." This person has defamed my character and slandered me. I would appreciate anyone with knowledge of who 'Anonymous' might be, to please come forward.

This blog is a journal of personal opinion. While it allows visitors from all over the world to comment, the blog owner is not liable for content or for any comments left here.

Thank you and God Bless you,
Happy New Year

LETTERS FROM IRAQ

Below is a very honest and amazing letter sent to me from SPC Timothy M. Deane. It's important to understand the kind of heroism and old-fashioned faith some of our troops have. I admire every single soldier, whether they have this kind of faith or not. But on that note please read the top comment from Human in the comment section here.

Our troops in Iraq, the deadliest war zone, are the most brave and inspiring people to me right now. Please pray for them. God Bless our troops.

With the threat of one Democratic senator suffering a stroke (Tim Johnson of South Dakota) last week, and the possibilty of a Republican Senate — I suddenly didn't feel so safe anymore. It's funny how we can go from hope to fear within seconds. Fear that mankind will self-destruct. This is what a Republican Congress would mean: the end of hope for America and all mankind. A Republican Congress means Dick Cheney would have veto power. It may sound extreme to make a statement like this, but it's how the majority "feels" right now.

Top photo: SPC Timothy Deane

Second photo is of our friend and fellow blogger Marcus "Tom Paine" and his wife Alissa, in Iraq.

The following letter is from SPC Timothy Deane. Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Lydia, I read your blog of the ten service members that were killed in country. The one that stood out was the mention of the one that was on his third tour. This is my third tour here as well. I came back from a injury that had me unable to walk for 90 days. I had my tendon repaired and my nerve dissected and repaired on my left foot. I came back to Iraq after healing...why?

If I can try to explain why...

1. We don't have to believe our leaders but we have to believe in our Country. Our love for our Country and our service is something we take pride in. Whether Foreign Policy is screwed up or not we have to protect our Country for whatever threat. Now, this comment can raise a few arguments I know BUT if I believe in my Country then I am willing to defend my Country. Notice, I believe in my Country even if my leaders are slightly off center.

Being in the military we are not allowed to discuss our political views and I will respect that and I don't think it's important on whether I am a Republican or Democrat (even though I am sure you know which I am). I am paid to be a medic, to save lives, not to get into a political debate with my Commander-In-Chief.

2. We continue to come over because we know others won't. This is an ongoing situation. We have folks that go AWOL and vanish on their units, we have folks that claim "conscientious objector" status after they
somehow woke up one day and said "hey, I'm not going to war", and then we have the National Guard men and women who claim the "I only joined for college". We also have entire Guard units that for some reason are
able to jockey their way out of deployments, but they and their personnel are able to remain in the Guard.

3. With being here three times you have experience. You want to share this experience with the younger soldiers or the "virgins to war". At 35 years of age I see it as my part to help those here and to ease their worries and to help them relax know that at any moment thing can and will go down hill fast. If you can learn from those who have been here before and if it helps you to stay alive and to do you mission then that is a success.

4. For some of us, like myself, being here is being able to support our families. Thanks to a poor job market or a job that only pays the status quo, by coming over here with the extra pay and the like we can keep our heads above water and make sure our families can survive. I am married with 3 beautiful children and I know that if anything does happen to me then they will be taken care of. I hate to think of anything happening but I am not the dictator of my time on earth. In the civilian side I would not be able to give my wife of 13 years and my children as good a life as they have now. Once I get back to Alabama after this tour, I return to the job I have and take a huge cut in salary. And once again I look forward to the prospect of having to work two or possibly three jobs just to stay afloat and to continue to provide for my family.

5. Family history. I come from a long line of military blood. I have had family in every major conflict since the Civil War. And due to my German heritage, I have had family on two fronts in two World Wars. Our dedication to Country and service is a way of my family saying "Thank You" to a Country that allowed us to cross the water and enter and to allow us the chance to make our lives better, brand new. From Grandfather to father to brother to sister and uncles and cousins (one cousin - William Wayne Seay gave the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam and was awarded the Medal Of Honor) we have all given our time to our Country. At one time over here my sister, my cousin and I were all in theatre together. Some were raised to be actors, doctors and lawyers and these are noble professions. My family - Deane's and Steiner's - see our calling differently. Some 44 years ago a great man told us to ask not our Country could do for us, but what we could do for our Country. I have never nor will I ever ask of my Country to do for me, I simply give to her without question.

6. Faith moves mountains. I have Faith in my God. And I know that if anything should happen I will look forward to being in His arms and standing with Him. There is a greater place and my Lord has a place for me in it. My family will miss me, yes, BUT what a glorious day when we will be reunited in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Faith keeps me going.

7. My family trusts and believes in me and that is all that matters. As long as I can look at my children and my wife when I get home and know I did the best that I could do and they love me, then that is all that I am after. I have nothing to prove to anyone but to my wife and babies.

8. This is my last tour. I will volunteer for no more.

Also, Please read this riveting post from Marine Philip Martin. Human

I will post excerpts from it, along with my favorite Marcus Byrne posts: Anger Management

For SPIRITUAL SOLUTIONS to the world crises, along with some amazing prayer miracles in the next few weeks, please check out RADICAL PRAYER at my other blog THE PEACEMAKERS* LIGHT OF TRUTH

You can reach my Home page at: LYDIA CORNELL

MOST INSPIRING PERSON OF YEAR

Most Inspiring Person of the Year, 2006
Most Inspiring of 2006: Why the Amish Won
With an act of radical forgiveness, a grieving community showed the world an alternative response to violence.

I vote for the Amish and also for CANDY CHRISTMAS, the beautiful Nashville singer who feeds the homeless every week out of her own pocket. Here's a letter I got from my friend Larry:

"I wish you have been in Nashville today. Candy took a semi load of food 20,000 lbs and a bus full of volunteers and a bus load of singers to Jamestown Tenn. which is the poorest area in Tenn. They put on a concert, gave away a refrigerator, Stove, 4 recliners and 20,000 lbs of food to the poor.

I don't know how many people I gave food boxes to, that told me this was a lifesaver. You would have loved it. A radio station in Columbus Georgia wants her to bring the troops there and do the same thing. They filmed it so I will get you a copy as soon as I get one. Monday night she is giving a Christmas party for the volunteers to Thank them for their hard work all year. These volunteers love doing this.

As I stood there watching Candy sing and looking over the gymnasium full of really poor people I thought about you and that you would like this."

MOST INSPIRING PEOPLE...
This year’s 12 most inspiring people once again proved the power of individuals to act with love, courage, and forgiveness in the most challenging situations.

The Amish of Nickel Mines, Pa.—a pacifist religious community in rural Lancaster County who practice a simple farming life without modern conveniences much the same as their 17th century Swiss-German forbears—suffered a shocking intrusion into their world when a local milkman, Charles Roberts, invaded a one-room schoolhouse, shooting 10 young girls, leaving five of them dead. During the ordeal, one of the girls, 13-year-old Marian Fisher, offered to be killed first in hopes that the others would be spared. (View video: A Young Girl's Sacrifice.) A Beliefnet member wrote of this event: “I cannot ignore this unbelievable act of love by a girl this young. In my mind, this little girl did no more or no less than Jesus did for us on the cross.” Within hours of the shooting, the families of the children not only expressed their forgiveness of the killer but reached out to his family, giving food and raising money for his wife and children.

In a Beliefnet video interview, Herman Bontrager, a spokesman for the Amish of Nickel Mines, explained, “The Amish believe that we must forgive because we ourselves need to be forgiven. [They're] trying to live the way Jesus lived. He turned the other cheek, he told us to love everybody, to love our enemies." A Beliefnet member noted, “The message of forgiveness, rather than vengeance, goes to the heart of how we should behave toward each other. This is an extreme example of how true faith and true forgiveness can be awe-inspiring. If the Amish can forgive the man who killed their children, how much more should the rest of us be able to forgive the petty hurts and perceived insults we receive each day?”

For the incredible example of living faith on the part of an entire community that lost its children, the majority of Beliefnet users cast their votes for the Amish. And the editors of Beliefnet follow their lead by naming the Amish of Nickel Mines, Pa. the Most Inspiring People of 2006.

We asked you to choose between some tremendously inspiring folks, and we were in for some surprises. Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, who spoke against racism and anti-Semitism, and "green" evangelical Rev. Richard Cizik, who works to save the environment, were knocked off in the first round.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was that a homeless Detroit man, Charles Moore, who returned $21,000 in savings bonds he found in the trash to their rightful owner, defeated billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, who this year gave the biggest charitable donation in history. Some of you wrote that Moore’s story reminded you of the New Testament lesson of “the widow’s mite.” Moore gave everything he had, because of his deeply grounded sense of honesty and integrity, shattering stereotypes about homeless people in the process.

Some other truly remarkable people lost by a slim margin. Elissa Montanti, the “saint of Staten Island,” who with single-minded devotion cuts red tape to get prosthetic limbs and medical help for war-maimed children, lost narrowly to Todd Corbin, a marine who courageously saved the lives of his unit in Iraq. One remarkable teenager—Adam Zuckerman, who is already one of the country’s most outspoken activists for Darfur—was edged out by another teen, Jason McElwain, an autistic boy whose amazing final-quarter shots for his high school basketball team proved that disability is no impediment to achieving your dreams. Another inspiring child, Bindi Irwin, daughter of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin who has taken up her father’s mantle of wildlife preservation, was chosen over wheelchair-bound actress, Kathleen Traylor, who started a theater where the disabled showcase their formidable acting talents.

In the second round of voting, Lance Corporal Todd Corbin of Ohio was named one of the final three. He is an outstanding example of heroism under pressure. On patrol in Iraq, Corbin saved the lives of many of the men in his unit, carrying people off the field of battle under heavy fire. At one point, he carried his wounded patrol leader over his shoulder while returning enemy fire with his free hand. When he drove away—in a 7-ton truck with three flat tires—he had the entire remaining platoon safely inside. His courage is only equaled by his modesty and faith. In an interview with Beliefnet, he explained, “The way I was raised, you always put yourself out for other people because there is going to come a time when you are down and are going to need someone to help you up. It is the core of my family values.” He added, “I always say people should not credit me with what happened on May 7, but credit God.”

The other two final candidates showed the kind of radical forgiveness that some have called miraculous. Both finalists suffered the horror of having of having family members brutally murdered. Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, hid in a tiny bathroom for three months and emerged to find her parents, siblings, and thousands of countrymen dead. At first unable to pray because of her anger, Immaculee surrendered “everything to God” and in a vision understood what Jesus meant when he said “Forgive them, Father, for they don't know what they do.” She prayed for her enemies and the anger was lifted. She reached out to her father’s killer, and has been lecturing all over the country on the power and importance of forgiveness. Her inspiring example is a beacon for many Beliefnet users.