Hurtling, Yes, Hurtling,
On Into July

Our bathroom has desperately needed fixing up for quite some time and we finally found a contractor we had confidence in last April. We got our estimate, signed it and sent it back. Unfortunately, in the meantime, in between time, someone else came to him with a big project and our little one got put on the back burner. We were originally scheduled for mid-May, but that was changed to mid-June when the shower we wanted had to be special-ordered. Then we were called and they were supposed to start June 22nd and take three days, but on June 22nd they called to say Lowe's said the glass shower doors were broken so it was delayed... Then, voila!, we received a call Saturday June 25th that they would start Monday June 27th... No problem- so what if there is no toilet when my folks get into town from Michigan on the 30th?? The contractor arrived Monday, ripped out the tub, walls, toilet and floors- we were lucky, no major problems unearthed and so they went full speed ahead. They finished at noon Wednesday June 29th; we still have to paint but the bathroom is all back to work and functional, and much better looking despite not being painted. We scrambled to get the cabinet put up above the toilet, the toilet paper holder mounted and the towel rack put up, plus cleaning EVERYTHING in the house of construction dust... Ahhh, my parents will have a pot to, well, they will have a functioning pot. More later about this fascinating project...


Now a quote contributed by Jay, seen on the internet and not attributed to anyone in particular: "Normal people are all normal the same way, strange people are all strange in different ways."

Click on the picture of the toe sticking out of the nylon stocking and it will take you to an interesting ad site- click on the button "Play Ad" for an amusement of sorts... And have a happy July!

I wanted to briefly comment on an interview I caught part of on NPR a couple of weeks ago. They were talking about stem cell research and the controversy surrounding using embryonic stem cells.

Organizations like the "Traditional Values Coalition" lay claim to knowing the truth about stem cell research and how scientists are lying about it. Scientists like Doug Melton, natural sciences professor at Harvard, claim to have discovered that the insulin-forming beta cells of the pancreas reproduce by simple division in the mature phase rather than descending from a progenitor, the adult stem cell. Which group is right? Which one is telling the truth? Who is doing God's work?

In listening to the interview of Mr. Melton, it was interesting to learn that his passion for this science is fueled by a hope and vision that it will help cure his two young sons of diabetes. It was also interesting to learn that he has received multiple death threats for his evil pursuits.

That's all. I just wanted to mention that.

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.- Galileo Galilei

My parents visited us from last Thursday until today, Wednesday July 6th. We had a good time; they enjoyed seeing our home and the various places we enjoy around here. My parents' cat, Clover, missed them dearly while they were gone (he believes he defines their world for them). He looked everywhere around the house for their scents- finding some to lick at last in the bathroom.

You can click on the picture of a cat demonstrating Clover's love of my parents' scents to see pictures from their visit with Jay and I.

You are here for a purpose. There is not a duplicate of you in the whole wide world; there never has been, there never will be. You were brought here now to fill a certain need. Take time to think that over.- Lou Austin

My friend from high school, Will Clegg, sends me comments and at times challenges some of my beliefs that are different than those he holds. He sent me an excerpt about one of his favorite authors that I think bears repeating:

On 7/9/05, Will Clegg wrote:
I don't send you this as an "in your face" piece. I know you, as well as I, have been disillusioned by things people have done in Christ's name. Rick is a good example of a Christian pastor of a very large church who walks the talk. Hope you find this interesting.

Rick Warren and World Poverty
Plenty of people have criticized Rick Warren, but an article in the latest Christian Century says that he's earning respect outside of evangelical circles. Warren has (1) co-launched an open-letter campaign to President Bush about world poverty, (2) set up foundations to distribute 90% of proceeds from his books to global ministries, including the fight against AIDS in the third world, (3) set up a program where the network of small groups in his church (2,600 of them!) have begun adopting villages in Rwanda, and (4) announced a plan to lead thousands of churches in an effort to tackle global problems.

I also read recently that Rick Warren has paid back his entire 25-year Saddleback Church salary, and he hasn't even traded his car or upgraded his house since his book became a best-seller. The moral of the story? Rick Warren isn't perfect, and his books may not be for everyone, but he doesn't seem to have allowed the fame and money to go to his head. Hopefully other Christian celebrities, millionaires and televangelists will follow the example.
Will Clegg, Pastor, Wesley Park United Methodist Church

I wrote Will back to tell him, in part:
"It is a nice piece; I hope it is true. He is acting, actually, like I would expect a "man of God" to act. You are right, I have been disillusioned by things done is Christ's name for decades, for my entire life. Since childhood I have seen people who purport to be religious not acting in ways that would seem congruent with those beliefs to me. The "conservative Christians" have wrapped themselves in a mantle of religion in order to pursue an ideology that makes all others evil and therefore expendable. Religous radicals are dangerous- Muslim or Christian or Jew- all of these religions have far right groups who are pushing an ideology of hatred and murder. Freedom of religion and tolerance of all peoples and cultures is what will give us peace, not forcing everyone to abide by one group's ideas of birth control, womens' clothing, abortion, scientific research, etc."

Same old same old from Cindy. C'iao

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.- Abraham Lincoln

From The New York Times:

23 Killed in Bombing at Baghdad Recruiting Center
By JOHN F. BURNS, Published: July 11, 2005
BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 10 - A brief lull in the suicide bombings here ended on Sunday when an attacker mingling with a crowd of men outside an Iraqi Army recruiting center detonated an explosive vest, killing at least 23 volunteers and wounding at least 40 others. The attack came on a day when the war claimed at least 43 victims, including a mother and eight children ages 2 to 19, who were shot to death before dawn Sunday as they slept at their home in southern Baghdad. Another victim was an Iraqi karate champion who was kidnapped outside Baghdad on Friday at a fake checkpoint. His body was found 24 hours later floating in the Tigris River near Kut, 100 miles south, said an Iraqi Olympic official who announced the death on Sunday and said he knew of no motive...

When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters--one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.- John F. Kennedy

Week before last, when we went to to pick up my parents, Jay and I were sitting and having coffee at a table in the main part of the airport. We could see what appeared to be a training for airport personnel going on in the large room near us. Jay pointed out that a plastic shopping bag that looked like it had something inside of it was sitting by its lonesome on a chair at another table. We sat and watched people with "TSA" on their shirts go in and out of the room, past the apparently abandoned bag, over and over. Finally maybe the 30th "TSA" person stopped, looked into the bag and remarked to his buddies that there were diapers in it, sat it down to be by its lonesome again, and went on. When we went back to the airport the next week, we watched as similar personnel spent a fair amount of time "wanding" my mother over and over. I guess she is scarier looking than an abandoned bag with unknown contents. It was interesting to watch at the time, and now seems even more so.

"I have sacrificed everything in my life that I consider precious in order to advance the political career of my husband."- Pat Nixon

Will wins the prize- he was the first to respond with the correct answer to the question above: State Street. First prize is: recognition here, and a happy day. As always, Will is head and shoulders above us all.

Will's birthday is today- July 16th. He wrote me earlier in the month: "July is a great month! On the 16th I will be 52 years young. My goal in life is to die young as late as possible!" Excellent plan.

I hope Will enjoys his day today and goes on to have a wonderful year. An elderly lady earlier this week remarked to me "We're just sitting here getting older!" Yes, aren't we all. Best be having a good time while we are doing it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY OLD FRIEND WILL CLEGG (AKA REV WILL)

Click on Will's picture with us to see his birthday greetings (and click on the greeting there for the site it comes from).

Nor shall derision prove powerful against those who listen to humanity or those who follow in the footsteps of divinity, for they shall live forever. Forever.- Kahlil Gibran, "The Voice of the Poet"

When my folks were here we took them to the historic Lincoln Theatre to see the movie "Mad Hot Ballroom". It was great fun; the movie patrons cheered at the end.

The movie is a documentary, filming three groups of 11 year old students in their physical education classes as they are introduced to and become proficient at ballroom dancing over the school year. The climax is watching the city-wide (New York) trophy competition- a nail biter, indeed.

It was fascinating to watch the kids mature with the discipline and focus of the dancing and to see males and females in this age group learn how to interact cooperatively with the opposite sex. What a wonderful program- I hope many schools adopt it with the impetus of this movie. Jay said that it made him feel more positive about the younger generation. Go see it if you can.

What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.- Henry David Thoreau

English intelligence did a hell of a job after the recent attack in London- maybe we should contract with them, give them some of that USA defense money that has flowed so freely. Maybe they could not only figure out who was responsible for those planes that ran into buildings in New York and DC back in 2001, but figure out where they went...

Oh well, Osama bin Laden, unfortunately, was successful. Since 9/11/2001 the United States has spiraled into war, plunged into debt, and placed new limits on freedom, while political divisiveness within the country and with other countries is at an all time high. And deaths mount worldwide.

"Where’d all the good people go?
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow..."
- from "Good People" on the album In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson

Kira gave me an orchid for Mother's Day in 2003; it just passed away this week. There will be more.

For a glimpse of the past, click on the picture of Kira's orchid to go to my July 2003 page, when I had just moved in with Jay.



Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.- Oscar Wilde

The United States went to war with Iraq because that country had weapons posing an imminent threat to our country. When those weapons were not found the reason given for our actions changed to freeing the Iraqi people. So be it, then.

Recent news stories about the drafting of the new Iraq constitution have talked about the fight over whether or not women should be allowed to vote and/or given other freedoms assumed automatic for men. One radio piece interviewed an Iraqi woman who said she was pressing for women not to vote because of her religious beliefs; she felt her beliefs should be honored.

I was appalled that these ideas should be given the legitimacy conveyed by even discussing them as if they made sense. What is there to discuss? Denying half of a population political freedom because of the beliefs of some or even most of the population is tyranny. Giving all people the right to vote is only a dangerous idea to dangerous people. Have our young men died for absolutely nothing?

Jay very patiently bears the brunt of my first responses to such things... and he kindly assisted me in sending letters expressing my opinions to elected representatives.

The events of our day, these days, are very important. Voices need to not remain silent.

"In Germany the Nazis first came for the Communists and I didn't object because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't object because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't object because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't object because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me."- Pastor Martin Niemoller, Dachau, Germany, 1941

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