By William W. Lawrence Sr
What Happened To Lewis Hiller In WWII (Reprise)
For the Lindsey Stones and other stupid middle-aged youngsters in the country who may not comprehend the sacrifices made by those who defended and defend their freedoms, I am putting a link to a post that ran in August.
Inspirational Words From a Post Unitarian Universalist Minister
I
read a few newsletter articles and sermons that I wrote when I was a
Unitarian Universalist Minister in 1998 at the UU Church of Manchester.
That was the year that I had just deepened my studies at the University
of Creation Spirituality, a school based on the wisdom tradition and a
study of Inter-spirituality. The words seemed clean and hopeful, as
compared to now. Yet again, the world was more clean and hopeful then,
in the U.S.A. to any extent.
Sometimes
I miss that old world and that old me, until I realize that the world,
though changing, is the same as it has always been if, and only if, we
can draw on the resources within ourselves that always remain the same
to empower ourselves to see beyond the vale of discouragement to the
reality of hope.
We
can draw on that which is clean, pristine, and eternal within to
recreate the world as it was before the religious and secular
fundamentalists began to turn our world upside down one step at a time.
As
we fight the good fight to bring about justice and freedom for all, we
can be assured that our only legacy when we pass from this world will be
what beauty, wisdom, and love we have come to embody before we die.
When
one has changed; when one has matured mentally and spiritually, the
actions that come as the fruit of being whole and healthy create a
better world. We realize that we are the world, and that which we do
for ourselves and others serve to produce the world as it should be for
all.
Let
us be thankful this year, for our inherent ability to create love and
beauty in a world that is often lacking those things. Let us not drink
from the chalice of fear created by those who would herd us like sheep,
but from the chalice of love that will give each and every one of us the
power of a phoenix so that we will rise up out of the ashes created by
the fearful and touch the face of God again.
1%er News Of The Day
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick who made $20 million last season — which included a $7 million signing bonus and a $3 million roster bonus — stands to make $12.5 million this year.
Cryptowit
By William W. Lawrence Sr
Give Thanks For It All
I am hoping that many people today can just stop, and take the time to practice Thanksgiving Day not only as a time to feast, but as a time to be thankful. Not only thankful for the things that make them comfortable. It is good to be thankful for those things: a nice home; friends; family; and a good community, but it is difficult to be grateful for the things that challenge us and force us to grow.
Give Thanks Today
Cryptowit
By William W. Lawrence Sr
Give Thanks For Stupidity Of Others As It Makes For Great Conservation
Thanksgiving. That hallowed holiday where we gather to give thanks for health and happiness.
Which lasts for five minutes. Because let’s be real. After that, we gossip, complain and marvel at the extraordinary stupidity all around us.
Here are just a few examples in the “What are they thinking?” category?
General Petraeus’ debacle: The now-former CIA Director had been engaged in covert activities with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, a West Point grad. Likewise, four-star General John Allen, commander in Afghanistan, had a very cozy relationship with wannbe-socialite Jill Kelley, exchanging 30,000 emails with her. Whether they stuffed the turkey together remains to be seen.
Did it dawn on either that since a major part of their jobs was intercepting emails, phone conversations and records, that maybe they should have covered their tracks a bit better? Talk about not using your head. Or, more accurately, using the wrong one. Military intelligence: truly an oxymoron.
But the biggest travesty is that Kelley’s resemblance to Kim Kardashian will undoubtedly result in Hollywood’s most talentless diva getting her part for the movie. Enough to make you vomit Thanksgiving dinner.
Hostess Union Workers Striking: Let’s see. Your company is in bankruptcy again. Management asks your union to make concessions in order to keep the ovens cooking. They tell you that without concessions, the company will be immediately liquidated, and you will have NO job. Since bankruptcy requires all financial cards be on the table, this was a statement of fact, not a negotiating bluff.
Does the union do the right thing for their families by taking the offer and trying to rebuild the company? No. They go hard-line and strike, using unadulterated greed as their guiding principle.
Well, congratulations to the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union. You held the line. More than 18,000 people will become unemployed (including 13,000 not in your union), but you held the line. That victory, and two dollars, will buy you a cup of coffee and some Twinkies.
Actually, just a cup of coffee.
All stores opening on Thanksgiving: Capitalism is by far the best economic system on Earth, but it only works when common sense is used. Opening retail stores on Thanksgiving Day not only lacks common sense (and common decency), but it’s an idiotic business move.
Denying workers the enjoyment of being with their families crosses the line, leading millions to ask “is nothing sacred?” While the sales will entice some, the negative publicity these stores are receiving does more harm than good. In fact, Wal-Mart employees are looking to strike in protest. Some things truly are more important than a few extra hours of profits.
Here’s the irony. Instead of disrupting Thanksgiving and getting hammered for it, they would reap substantially more by spending millions in a public relations effort shaming their competition, informing consumers that their Black Friday sales would be extended to preserve the sanctity of Thanksgiving.
But as Voltaire said, “Common sense is not so common.”
Camping Out For A Week At Best Buy: There’s no excuse for opening on Thanksgiving. But that decision is only fed by the absolute morons who no longer stand in line for hours before the doors open, but now camp out for days in front of stores.
Here’s a newsflash for these folks: A. if you’re camping out during the workweek, then you are not, by definition, working. B. Maybe if you were working, you wouldn’t be so desperate to save a few bucks on another TV. C. If you don’t have a job, you have no business buying anything except the essentials, which, I believe, Best Buy doesn’t offer. D. Since you are acting like a bum by eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom in a sidewalk tent city, do yourself a favor and buy The Big Lebowski. Fast forward to the classic exchange between both Lebowskis and you might learn something:
The Big Lebowski: Are you employed?
The Dude: Employed?
The Big Lebowski: You don’t go out looking for a job dressed like that? On a weekday?
The Dude: Is this a… what day is this?
The Big Lebowski: Your revolution is over, Mr. Lebowski. Condolences. The bums lost. My advice is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir! The bums will always lose. Do you hear me… the bums will always lose!
If you are camping out in front of a store for a week before Thanksgiving, you’re already lost. But take solace in the fact that the rest of us will be talking about you while we enjoy third helpings of turkey in our toasty warm homes. And we thank you for giving us so much material. Happy Thanksgiving!
Pa. Police Plan To Be Aggressive This Thanksgiving
The Pennsylvania State Police have announced that with the increased traffic expected this Thanksgiving holiday they will be aggressively enforcing traffic laws especially DUI, speeding and seat belt violations.