MySpace.com Photos - The Loneliest Monks - All Photos

MySpace.com Photos - The Loneliest Monks - All Photos

So You Think You're For

Just how rational is your decision to vote for McCain /Obama?

ABC News devised "MATCH-O-MATIC" to see which candidate's statement (unidentified until you complete it) on given issues most accurately reflects your opinions.

I took the quiz and, although overall it affirmed my Sept. 23rd vote for Obama (GA), on 3 issues I identified with something McCain said.

That rascally maverick!

It only takes about 2-3 min. Click on this link:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage

Obamonos! Salsa Politics You Can Dance to!

Push back your chair, turn up the volume, swivel those hips, raise your arms and celebrate the exuberant, passionate

"Obamonos!"

IT'S A MIRACLE!!

IT'S A MIRACLE!

NPR radio carried a news story about the high level of VOTER REGISTRATION being mounted at BOB JONES UNIVERSITY (Virginia) where McCain support is overwhelmingly high.

FYI: BJU is ULTRA-FUNDAMENTALIST Christian. You can check out their rules & regs online.

So how do they reconcile their strict, fundamentalist morality with supporting for President of the USA an AVID GAMBLER (favors the craps table) in Las Vegas & wherever else it's legal?McCAIN HAS NEVER HIDDEN HIS LIFELONG LOVE OF GAMBLING and, as Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Indian Affairs, has supported the establishment of CASINOS ON INDIAN REServations; only blocking them when they conflict with the gambling interests of those lobbyists who have gotten to him.

Personally, if it's legal and he enjoys it and it's not creating a problem for him & his family, I say, "Live and let live."

But the NYTimes had a stunning investigative report on the influence of gambling lobbyists on McCain's chairmanship. That's a moral, if not legal, issue.

But, at BJU GAMBLING = SIN and McCain is clearly unrepentent!

Gosh, darn it, Bob Jones! How can ya call yourselves "Christians," and rally round this guy without even addressing the question of his enthusiastic gambling habits and legislation? What am I missin' here?

A Clear Pattern of Dangerously Poor Judgment

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it!"

And repeat it. And repeat it.

How many of us weren't old enough (or are too distracted) to remember, Sen. McCain's participation in the notorious "Keating 5" group of senators who took bribes to support & protect the kingpin of the Savings & Loan meltdown of 1990?

Watch this gripping documentary and in about 13 minutes you will revisit this then-stunning financial catastrophe (I mean, we were only talking $million$ then).

You will also hear how little Sen. McCain has learned since then, leading him to make the unrealistic pronouncements on the current state of our economy!

Just click here: "KEATING 5"

SARAH PALIN'S FLOW CHART

I wish I knew who to give credit to on this; but - God bless you whomever you are!!!

Lauralyn

Sarah Palin Delivers Uncanny Tina Fey Immitation for 90 Minutes - LIVE TV at its vexing best!

Ohm'gosh, where tuh begin? Didja see our Sarah put Sen. Joe in his place, thank you very much?!!
The way she simply ignored those pesky, backward lookin', blame-gamin' questions about Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, our economic crisis & equal legal protections for same sex domestic partners as for heterosexual married couples.

And the way she covered for the fact that she doesn't pretend to understand what the devil an "Achilles Heel" is so how could she answer the darn question?! She just used that as yet another opportunity to point out all her winnin' traits.

Her make up was flawless, honey! Her eyes flashed, she flirted with Joe giving him sidway glances with a mischievous smile that conveyed, "Now there you go again puttin' out all those facts and figures just like an Insider; and poor little me here just knowin' the truth of what's in my heart!"

And she carried this off wearin' those high fashion red pumps with the spike heels! Who says she doesn't have the attention span for learnin' all the stuff she's gonna hafta know. If she can talk that good while her feet are killin' her; well, you betcha she'll be able to handle White House briefings.

WAKE UP AMERICA - we aren't voting for a casting change for the 3rd sequel to "Pretty in Pink!" Though Sarah would make a fantastic grown-up Reese Witherspoon for a sequel to the movie she made with Matthew Broderick, "ELECTION!"

After watching Sen. Joe graciously ANSWER the questions asked, displaying a masterful knowledge of recent history and how Obama and he will govern America out of its current labrynth of Bush misjudgements and narcism - can there be any doubt who should be a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the US?

Sen. McCain, with his history of multiple recurrences of MELANOMA has chosen a cunning, ignorant, unqualified, aggressive local politician to be his stand-in, confirmation that he is a GAMBLER personality type to the core: impulsive, blind, conning himself into thinking he can turn this thing around anytime. God help us!

In sharp contrast, Sen. Obama reveals an intelligence applied consistently to SOLVING AMERICA'S PROBLEMS by listenning, assessing and coming to his conclusions by surrounding himself with intelligent experts. He doesn't want a pretty ventriloquist's dummy to sit on his knee and spout the soundbytes he's mouthing for her. In selecting Sen. Joe Biden, he made wisdom and knowledge his primary values.

Obama sees a future worth voting for and he's got the factual plans to make it happen. McCain just wants moh power and a pretty girl to distract the folks from noticing what he's "palming off" on the electorate.

McCain Blames Obama for Bailout Bill Bust!© By Lauralyn Bellamy, MA, MDiv

OK, class. Let's review.

The Democratic majority of the House of Representatives under their leadership lined up 2/3's of their members to save Republican Prez Dubya Bush's hide and Wall Street's criminal negligence of our financial system. Despite the cooperation of the Republican leadership of the House, because of the unexpectedly low support by REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVES, the BAILOUT bill FAILED.

As you know, the Republican Nominee for President of the United States, Sen. McCain, tried to make us believe, in the first TV debate last Thursday, that only he has the experience and judgment to lead America forward. He kept repeating (a broken record comes to mind, or a scratched CD) that his opponent, "Just doesn't get it..."

So what was McCain's immediate public judgment about HIS party's failure to pass the bailout bill?

McCain declared the bailout bill failed to pass the US House of Representatives due to Sen. Obama's failure to lead.

(Can you say a little more about that, Sen. McCain? 'Cause, speaking frankly, I'm not sure what alternate reality you're living in!)

Remember, now, class, according to Sen. McCain, the Republican nominee, the fundamentals of our economy are sound.

God and our fellow voters - save us from this man who will say absolutely anything he believes will get him elected!

Palin, Motherhood, and Having It All!(C) Lauralyn Bellamy

Palin’s Approach to Motherhood:

“Do as I SAY, NOT as I DO!” ©

By Lauralyn Bellamy, MA, MDiv

Great to read Gloria Steinem's assessment of Gov. Palin in the LA Times (9/4/08)!

Given that Palin has proclaimed, declared, testified, prayed-in-public-for Traditional Christian Values; it is perfectly fair to ask her how she reconciles the Christian Evangelicals' emphasis on the traditional family structure with:

1) Abandoning her infant son who has special needs congruent with his Downs Syndrome; and,
2) Leaving her 17 year old unmarried daughter who is about to enter the final trimester of her first pregnancy, to campaign across the nation; and
3) Addressing the critical issues facing our country while giving her attention to her daughter's future wedding to the father of her baby!
4) Leaving her husband, pregnant daughter and her siblings, to deal with the intrusive publicity; and
5) Being on the campaign trail as the young father-to-be is injected into their family; a boy whose MySpace profile had an expletive-saturated statement of his commitment to drinkin', runnin' around and "NO KIDS!"
(NOTE: His MySpace Declaration of Independence got pulled after McCain decided to share with the American public that he knew of these family circumstances PRIOR to choosing Palin. )

With these 5 emotionally charged family situations crying out for her full attention and motherly participation, Palin will be away, stumping!

There are some situations that cannot be adequately addressed by brief doses of "quality time." Palin's facing 5 of them!

Lastly, it is alarming to me that her unbridled lust for more political power could not be deferred while she completed the covenant she made with the people of Alaska to serve one term as their Governor.

See WHO in September, Oprah?! - DIET-SABOTAGE_DEMOLITION EXPERTS! | Google Groups

See WHO in September, Oprah?! - DIET-SABOTAGE_DEMOLITION EXPERTS! Google Groups

“Pit Bull Palin” Tears into Cardboard Obama©
By Lauralyn Bellamy

“What's the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom? Lipstick.”
- Gov. Sarah Palin, addressing the Republican Nat'l. Conv.
after accepting the GOP nomination to be their
vice presidential nominee, 9/3/08
Self-proclaimed pit bull for Sen. McCain's presidential campaign, Alaska’s Gov. Sarah Palin, gave a bravura performance tonight in her oratorical debut as a candidate for national office. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to former SNL regular, now star of CBS' '30 Rock,' Tina Fey, Palin hit the ground running with a strong voice, commanding timing and a clenched jaw demeanor telegraphing that she was holding back on releasing the full megaton arsenal of her fighting words.I half expected the end of her speech to be capped with a rafter's shaking broadcast of Elton John belting out, 'The Bitch is Back!'If I were in the hall at the time, I'd give her an A for electrifying her audience, bringing out the warrior spirit in every man and the Amazon sisterhood in the women.As television, I'd give her a B or, maybe, a B+. Her facial expression was nonstop defiance/confidence/smugness - shades of Hillary!!! There didn't seem to be any other emotional 'colors' in her palette. I watched the perfunctory way she strode down the line of family members bestowing identical air kisses on the right sides of their faces with the exact same gesture and the exact same timing, never breaking stride.She put her spin on her brief political career with force and wit.She does not seem to have a clue as to what the actual responsibilities of the vice president of the United States include nor did she make any effort to tell us what skills and talents qualify her to be successful in that job.Far from it; indirectly, she telegraphed to the US Senate that she was spoiling for a fight - which is laughable from their standpoint. She will not be entering the Senate chambers as the feared Governor who has the clout to see state reps get fired, fooled or exposed in the press. The Senators will shut her down so fast she won't know what hit her. Then she'll pick herself up and destroy a few bridges.She barked Sen. McCain's Maverick status over and over. That's fine; but, mavericks belong on the periphery of power, not at the center. Mavericks are not collaborative. Their power comes from being on the outside.By this weekend, members of the national press who are willing to actually do some journalistic research will discover the degree to which Palin's self-portrait is covering over a very different picture of how she has “served” the then-5,000+ citizens of Wasilla, and the people of Alaska.The press will have no trouble highlighting the discrepancies between the role of anti-political mavericks McCain & Palin have chosen and their actual (and all too human) record of accommodating the powerbrokers when the ends justified the means.But for those of us who truly appreciate rhetorical performances, tonight was a triple threat of Huckabee, Giuliani & Palin. I enjoyed every minute

Lauralyn Bellamy, MA, MDiv

Imagine Sarah Palin a Heartbeat Away from the Presidency! (c) Lauralyn Bellamy

OK, I'm going to break a taboo here.
I'm going to talk about the proverbial "elephant in the living room."
And I challenge MSNBC's CHRIS MATTHEWS and all the other TV "pundits," and the Brahmins of print journalism, to educate the voting American public about
this TABOO subject as it relates to Senator McCain's choice of a Vice Presidential candidate.

The problem with a promising but totally unprepared, unseasoned young elected official like Alaska's Governor, Sarah Palin, being a heartbeat away from a McCain presidency is NOT the fact of his advanced age!

If he were 50 years old and as robust as he appears now, this taboo fact would still make McCain's choice of veep far more important to our nation than Senator Obama's.

And yet, Obama had the integrity to make his selection of Senator Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on the basis of the WISDOM, depth of knowledge about US foreign policy and world politics, and Biden's firsthand personal communication with world leaders. Obama, whose health and age would seem to make the question of who would be a heartbeat away from assuming the presidency merely pro forma, showed the American people how deeply he respects the office of the vice presidency.

The TABOO that the press is not telling us about IS the fact that John McCain has suffered MULTIPLE recurrences of MALIGNANT MELANOMA, the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer; and, with each recurrence, the chances increase that he will have another. The possibility that a President McCain will experience another attack of malignant melanoma in his first term of office is significant and makes the selection of vice president deadly serious.

I dare to get this topic out in public view because I AM a melanoma survivor (stage 1, excised 6/8/00) and have had to become intimately familiar with this cancer.

Even if McCain catches it early and only undergoes surgery, there is the likelihood of a temporary transfer of power to the Veep. Does anyone with a functioning intellect think this potentially gifted young politico is ready to assume the responsibilities of the most powerful political leader on earth?

Even more troubling, what does her selection say about McCain's openness to having an equally experienced, knowledgeable partner as his Veep to provide expert consultation and feedback?

And if McCain honestly believes that the women who supported Senator Clinton will switch to him because of Sarah - that's reallllly insulting!

This lovely young woman -

• who has been governor of Alaska LESS THAN 2 YEARS, and before that
• served Wasilla City as a member of their city council (1992-96), and
• Mayor (1996-2002);
• who shares McCain's anti-choice position on a woman's right to a medically safe and legal abortion;
• this self-professed "soccer Mom"

- is supposed to lure Hillary's "sisters of the travelling pantsuits" over to Daddy McCain?? McCain reveals a desperate politico's willingness to pander to an alarmingly crass and ignorant degree.

Worse, McCain insults all the professionally qualified Republican women senators, US Reps and governors with truly impressive political credentials for working in the White House. He must feel threatened by a woman who is his professional equal.

Gov. Palin makes an excellent protege for an aging and wise mentor. But America cannot afford to have her do her internship at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

OBAMA CHOOSES BIDEN -WOOOHOOO!!

NEW YORK TIMES (of course!) broke the story minutes ago - 1:02 AM Eastern.

So glad to know Sen. Joe Biden's impressive intellect, straight talk & extensive knowledge of US foreign policy will be guiding President Obama!

Take a moment to see this short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmUUYo9o9eg

10 Things McCain & Obama Could Do to Win My Vote! (c) by "Raising Kane"

10 Things McCain & Obama Could Do to Win My Vote!©
‏By “Raising Kane”

[[Editor’s note: “Raising Kane” is the pen name of an actual Gen Y male, with MBA & highly lucrative financial career, who supported Rudy financially & otherwise until he dropped out. He sent me this e-mail with permission to reprint it anonymously. He is currently UNDECIDED as to whom to vote for. An amazing development to him and me!]]

Obama:
10.Talk about one area where you'd cut government spending significantly.

9. Emphasize that while McCain was marrying into money and sitting around in Washington for year after year, you were working with real people in a real city.

8. What are your thoughts about the Fed. Govt. taking on mortgage risk? ‘Cause if current housing/mortgage trends continue, it's quite possible that 3yrs. from now nobody will be talking about the Social Security/Medicare fiscal crisis in 20yrs; it’ll be about the trillions of rotting mortgage securities that the govt. has/is taking on!

7. The vote to go into Iraq is 5yrs behind us. Right now, given all that's happened, what are your plans? What are the repercussions of pulling out?

6. When Republicans say something stupid, don't get offended or flustered or prissy: mock it. If McCain says your vote against Bush tax cuts was putting ambition ahead of country, laugh and say that must be why McCain voted against them, too!

5. Don't get knocked off stride by McCain jabs. In debates, jab back and watch him get prickly and Dole-like.

4. Emphasize managerial competence. Neither of you have much track record in executive positions beyond your campaigns.

3. Take out the stiletto! [Ed. - a narrow, deadly knife, not a shoe] You're savvy enough to defeat stupid attacks with smart, quick humor. Watch old Giuliani speeches.

2. Repeat again and again that you'll be willing to veto the Democratic congress if they add to the deficit (i.e. prioritize fiscal responsibility).

1. Not pick Hillary as VP! ('Cause if you picks her, the odds of my voting for you drop to less than .001%.)

McCAIN:
10. Stop with the anti-intellectualism. Stop complaining that American students are falling behind the rest of the world, while simultaneously joking about how you were 2nd to last at Annapolis. Intelligence isn't a character flaw.

9. At every campaign stop and in every speech, remind me how Pelosi and Kennedy are running Congress, and how divided govt. works best.

8. So you believe in the Bush tax cuts now. Uh-huh. Convince me. And then, convince me how you'll be able to overcome a (veto proof?) Democratic Congress to hold onto them. Uh-huh...

7. Gas tax holiday? Please. It's embarrassing.

6. “Straight-talk”-up: someone needs to tell Americans to start saving money; that credit card debt eventually has to be paid back; houses are not ATMs. Getting Americans to save will make the economic downturn worse, but make it a lot shorter, too, and be good in the long run.

5. Pick a running mate that I'd be excited about voting for as President in 2012 or 2016. Preferably one that knows how to get on the internet.

4. Emphasize that you'll veto any bill from the Kennedy-Pelosi congress that adds to the deficit. Say that you're, "itching for that fight!"

3. Choose a smart VP who has private sector experience and/or really, really understands macroeconomic issues. The economy is going to be a drag until 2011, at least. Monosyllabic answers like "lower taxes!" or "Drill! Drill! Drill!" are not going to cut the mustard.

2. For goodness sake - stop! STOP! STOP! insisting Obama's votes that you don't agree with show he was "putting ambition ahead of the country." That's a moronic, weak, and despicable tactic. Perhaps the only lower approach would be to say, "Any vote I disagree with shows he's putting Satan's interests first!" It cheapens you.

1. Trick Obama into picking Hillary as VP.

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Barack Obama | Lauralyn

Post from Lauralyn Said That?!:

He's Choosing a Veep, Not a Menage a Trois!
By Lauralyn - Aug 1st, 2008 at 8:12 pm EDT


I voted for Sen. Obama in the Georgia Primary. I've been voting since 1968 and never before entered the voting booth still UNDECIDED. My head and heart were convinced that the arc of history was now bending toward Obama; but, my head and heart were also grieving that Sen. Clinton had missed an opportunity to frame her campaign in similarly passionate, visionary, historical terms.
How had it come to pass that voting for the first female presidential nominee of the two major political parties (I'm old enough to remember, with awe, Rep. Shirley Chisolm's 3rd party effort) was seen as voting for the status quo? But, it had. Yet, why not participate in that bit of history by at least voting for her in the primary? Back and forth I went - for weeks - right up to the moment I logged onto the voting machine. And then I, literally, took a deep breath and voted for Obama.
On reflection, I could see how Sen. Clinton had missed the opportunity: it's the price many of us "professional women" paid in the 1960's and '70's to be effective in a "men's club" business setting. (And the US Senate is THE most exclusive "old boy's" club!) We cultivated the ability to become "one of the boys" in manner and dress. We avoided being perceived as "emotional," learned how to speak in a lower register voice to be taken seriously, and wore our pants suits with fierce pride.
But once it became clear that Obama will be the official nominee of the Democratic party, it was equally clear that no one in their right mind could seriously believe Hilary Clinton would be an effective Vice President in an Obama administration. Why?
Aside from her own steamroller ego needs (which is fine if you're the Prez), she's married to a recent US President - DUH! The integrity of Obama's actions and policies would become political "chum" for the news media as "political pundits" and lazy reporters who cling to them, in symbiotic harmony, circled the choppy waters in a Potomac Fever-styled feeding frenzy, speculating how much was Bill's behind-the-scenes manipulation and how much was Hillary's.
Avoiding a B'illary Vice Presidency should be a no-brainer, folks!
And if Hillary had any willpower left to keep her political ambition in check, she would have removed her name from any further consideration for the Veep long ago in a gracious and absolutely unequivocal public statement. As she hasn't, I can only send my voice to the inner circle that advises Obama, and Obama himself, to have the - uh - integrity to state clearly that she is NOT being considered as his running mate for the obvious reason that it would be untenable to have a standing vice president triangulating the inner workings of the US presidency with a former US president! Period. Simple. Don't take it personally, Hillary.
To Hillary supporters who want to see her as Veep, or are threatening to vote for Sen. McCain - WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? (Or smoking, drinking, snorting, injecting?) You would be willing to vote for a man who has gone on record as opposing a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion; a man who has stated his determination "to stay in Iraq 100 years in order to win the war"?! I would hope that your loyalty to our Constitution would trump this cult of personality thing y'all got goin' for ya!
Do I wish Barack will choose a female governor, senator or congressional rep. as his veep? Of course! But, ultimately, I want who he chooses to be a vital asset to winning the White House more than making my wish come true.
Thanks for listening!

What Can YOU Expect!?!

I wanted a platform where I could bring together as many of my interests as possible, hopefully in a way where they're in a mutually satisfying (!) dialogue. I've been a student of alternative and complimentary healing modalities for almost 15 years, including medical hypnotherapy, reiki and Quantum Touch.
I get a kick out of the way science is finding more points of agreement with spirituality with every new study of the brain and how it functions with the "non-local mind."
As a seminary educated (Emory U), ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and hospital trained chaplain of 15 years I've been privileged to witness the miracles of birth, death, healing and transformation upfront and personal.
I was one of only 4 journalists hired by Ralph Nader to be accredited to the House of Representatives Press Corps (CNN's CHRIS MATTHEWS was another, see Time's story in the "Media" section, Dec. 23, 1973) for his ground-breaking Capitol Hill News Service. Yeah, Watergate was happening back then...
I wrote an expose of the payola-style shenanigans broadcasters went through to get media buyers to pay for air time - which got spiked by the prominent weekly trade magazine for the industry, so I quit after Ralph hired me, then, after a year of drinking my dinner with "the boys" of the Fourth Estate more days than not, found a more congenial news outlet in Baltimore (a counter-culture weekly called, "Harry") and Atlanta ("Creative Loafing" features editor 1985-86).
I studied photography with Harry Callahan at RISD and had my pics published in various magazines. As one of our sons commented after interviewing me for a social studies assignment in high school, "Gee, Mom, you sure had an interesting life!" I pointed out that, as far as I was concerned - it wasn't over yet.
I'm a melanoma survivor (June,m 2000) after serving as a resident chaplain on oncology for 12 months - I don't think it was catching.
I'm also a congregational pastorate survivor - served as founding minister of the Unitarian Universalist Metro Atlanta North Contregation for 7+ years and the pastoral care/chaplain supervisor for Atlanta Unity Church (New Thought) for 3 years. At this point, I'm still wary of "communities" of faith...
And there's lots more I'm too sleepy to get to right now.
So hang in there with me and I'll stop here! Glad you made it.
To be continued...
Lauralyn