Warm Appreciation
Now Playing: Blink 182- I Miss You
Topic: Mysteries of Life


You'll notice that below this entry I posted the text of an email that came to me just a day or so ago which praised me for the buddhist information that I created. Well, it's been a good couple of days since as I've had people contact me through icq and through the AOL messenger giving me similar kind words. The last one, just a bit ago was through icq and that woman -nicknamed 'Amethyst' was kind enough to praise the layout and content of the site.

Many times I get people who contact me and are angry that I have information and pictures that might cause someone to rethink their viewpoint on the death penalty or who believe that I am somehow being insensitive to victims. Those bits of hostility directed toward me are not fun to receive. Sometimes people will complain to me that they think I 'like' gory or horrific pictures since I have such pictures available on my site. I tell those people that those who seek such pictures for the sake of seeing gore and horror are likely defective and with something wrong in their way of thinking. I know some people who recently sought out pictures of beheadings of american hostages. My opinion of the people who seek those sorts of pictures is a negative one. I have little respect for people who find that entertaining and who seek their entertainment in the pain and suffering of others. There is something exceedingly vile in that.

I appreciate that someone would feel strongly enough to express their viewpoint to me personally even if it is a negative one and sometimes hostile. I would say though that I more warmly receive the kinder comments. This is perhaps a fault of mine but it is nevertheless so. For people like Amethyst who can see the overall depth of my site I'd like to say that I will continue to use the same criteria to enlarge and fill out my site of that which seems right to me and what expresses who I am. Thanks most kindly.

Riding like a dog-
Now Playing: Tour de France
Topic: Physical Well Being
A good day, not so hot. Nine miles biked in the morning followed by lots of yard work in the sun, followed by having lunch with my friends, a visit to the bird shop to visit other friends and then 15 miles on the bike in the evening. So 24 miles in today. Again, I've popped up to a higher gear so I've got more muscle to pedal harder, I have my mp3 player jamming a large selection of music that gets me motivated and allows me to pedal like a maniac and I take my aggressions out on the road. Good therapy- must go faster. If I didn't have the painful heel spur thing I'd be up at 5 in the AM running in circles for 90 minutes a day but you do what you can do. I can't wait for the surgery for the foot, nothing as wonderful as the pain from a surgery to remind what pain and suffering is all about.

Thanks for the Buddhist Info at my site-
Now Playing: Tour de France
Topic: Mysteries of Life
I get lots of emails from people who visit my site. Most of them have to do with the death penalty and are people thanking me for providing information that they cannot otherwise find or they are people sending me hate letters since to their eyes it appears that I am against the death penalty. Very infrequently do I get an email thanking me for the Buddhism information I have on my website. Here is the email.

"I want to thank you so much for the section in your
website on buddhism. I have very recently become very
interested in this as a way of life. I have contacted
white lion and they are sending me some info on how to
get started. I found the info that you had very
helpful, as we have no contacts here in the MS Delta.
Again thank you and I send you warm wishes.

=====
Angie

Hope that you have wonderful day!!!"

Thank you Miss Angie. It made my day to have this email come to me through the spam filters and into my mailbox.

The People's Republic of Texas
Topic: Law
Perhaps you remember the story of the woman in Texas who was charged with violating the Texas obscenity laws for selling a vibrator to two 'undercover police officers' posing as a married couple. The important thing to remember about this story is that the police department in the city of Burleson- Johnson County thought the idea of selling vibrators to married couples in private parties (think tupperware) was such a threat to the People's Republic of Texas that they did set up the sting operation to catch Joanne Webb, a mother of three and a former schoolteacher in the town of Burleson. This story received national attention, something the fine police of Burleson didn't expect and as a result of the national spotlight, the Johnson County Attorney, perhaps feeling the pressure of the sunshine, asked the Judge to dismiss the case 'to prevent the county from wasting resources on it.' Now they had no problem wasting resources on it when they simply thought they could put the mother of three in jail for her heinous crime but now, to save money, - not to do the right thing or even admitting they were stupid- they had the case dismissed to save money. Another day in the People's Republic.

One Damned Day After Another
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Got my exercise on not so early this day, after 9:30 or so. Hot, humid and who cares. 12 Miles down the road, getting ready to pound out a couple more ten miles. Mostly a good thing, helps keep the pissedoffness down. Watched Lance Armstrong win another day at the Tour, he is like John Elway to my mind, a fellow who travels a hard road, doesn't give up and comes out as a survivor and a winner. To be admired. I shall look like a thundercloud now, hope the thunderclouds don't get too upset and zap me with the lightning.

Later that evening-Another good twelve miles, rode hard, rode fast and rode in a higher gear. Came home and found a slight bit of heat stroke passing through me. Being upset is good for the workout, you can take your aggressions out on the pedals or the weights and at the end of the day you've got it out of your system and you are a bit healthier as a result. Beats drinking and smoking.

Where did that week go?
Now Playing: Tour de France
Topic: Physical Well Being
Only 12 miles biked yesterday. New contacts picked up yesterday. OH so exciting. I can see all the way around again. Noticed a glitch in the matrix here, that this blog was set a week behind itself. Me not paying attention to the date made it possible.

Saturday
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Al Jarreau-My Foolish Heart- new 2004
Topic: Physical Well Being
Hey Princess K

Fifteen miles today. Not that great but all at once in the evening. Rained in the morning and threatened the evening but what's a bit of rain. Spent the day at the Bird Shop visiting with my friends there. A couple of big guys-macaws got to go home in the last few days and I watched a couple go home today. Got some of Chapels Saturday chili which was good as always. Like a family there. Of course the bowl of chili was more than I needed to eat for the day but sometimes you just gotta eat a friend's chili. :-)

Edited Out-Persona Non Gratis--

Houston- We Have Ignition Thank You
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Blink 182 -I Miss You / Addicted To You-Simple Plan
Topic: Mysteries of Life
This is where a big picture of a picnic table won't be seen. Although I am fond of it now. Other than that, all systems are a go. After constant exercise that I was motivated to engage in after a bad fright, I find that in a few weeks I am better able to withstand the elements and am able to wander the earth with a bit more confidence. The down side of that is I'm a aching mess at the moment. :-) But sacrifices must be made. I'll be up and biking a good 12 miles early in the morn. Although, I am not looking forward to that bike seat. Thanks goodness for the positive example of Lance Armstrong and the other riders at the Tour de France, - helps keep me going out and burning my thighs.

503 Service Unavailable Slashdot down WTF?
Well that is a surprise and something I have never seen before, the beloved Slashdot being down for some unknown reason, it says 503 Service Unavailable and I have no earthly idea what a 503 Service Unavailable code stands for. I know what it means, - no Slashdot. That's kind of frightening. But then folks are in front of my house digging up a busted water main so just about anything is possible in this here world. :-)


No big whoop- Slashdot is back up, they were doing server maintenance and were gone for three hours according to the article posted on Slashdot explaining why they would be offline for a while. -The ensuing crisis to geekdom is suitably documented Slashdot. And in happier news the water main is repaired. There is only a unsightly big giant hole in the driveway which will be fixed tomorrow. Hopefully.

Your Bike Mileage May Vary
Now Playing: Martine McCutcheon-Wishing
Topic: Physical Well Being
Up at eight in the morning, as I've been for the last week and out to ride at least 9 miles on the bike. I've had to put a softer seat on it, one with a nice little flashing light for those early morning or late evening bike rides when I'd rather not get squished by an inattentive truck driving, trying to get home quickly kind of person. Yesterday was 18 miles in all, the day before it was 18 miles, the day before that was 24 miles. It works out to about 45 minutes on the bike riding a constant pace. Out to the gym at least three times a week- to pump me up, to further work that cardiovascular as well as tone up a bit more. Woohoo.

Response to 'gadlaw knows me'
Now Playing: Renee Olstead-Female Jazz Vocalist
Topic: Law
Someone who knows me but didn't identify themselves commented on the last comment I made about the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. (by the way-it's okay to come out the closet) That person said

"The prisoners at Guantaanamo bay do not have the same rights as you or me, due to the fact that they are POW's."

Um, No. Not correct. If the prisoners at Guantaanamo were called POW's-(Prisoners of War) they would be afforded a good number of rights as per the Geneva Convention concerning prisoners rights. The United States signed onto this treaty in 1949 as have most civilized nations in the world. This treaty provides for humane treatment, certain rights, red cross visits etc. Geneva Convention

The problem is that the prisoners in Guantaanamo are afforded- or have been afforded, no status at all. This means according to the government, they could be held indefinitely. This means, incarceration forever, without a hearing, without a trial. This in itself is not an american value or trait. It is a trait and value of all communist and all dictatorships in the world. The hauling away of people in the middle of the night, no due process, no following humane treatment as per treaty-the actions of 'evil' countries.

What treating people who may or may not be terrorists (remember that they have had no hearings, nobody to speak up for them to defend them) in this 'nonamerican' fashion does, is to denigrate the values of America. Prisoners of War are given rights through treaties that we have signed. American citizens have rights assured to them through the constitution of the United States and their state constitutions and those rights are constantly being shaped by laws that are passed and by judgments by judges and ultimately the Supreme Court. Of course, the use by the Bush administration of the 'Material Witness' aspect of the law which allows them to grad someone and also hold them indefinitely without trial or hearing is also being challenged and will be determined to be blatantly unconstitutional.
Material Witnesses

The people in Guantaanamo are unique in the fact that the Bush administration has decided, against international law, and against the constitution, that no rights at all can be afforded to them. -The Supreme Court has said NO- that is not correct. These are people picked up in Afghanistan, many of whom have been demonstrated to have been completely innocent of anything other than being in Afghanistan, people who have been incorrectly and mistakenly hauled up and put in a prison for years before being let out-people without recourse or rights- if you can tell me why under any circumstances that this is 'American' or demostrates the freedom and rights that we as Americans fight for and die for, then you are indeed a wizard. -

prisoners at Guantanamo Bay- "You Have Rights"
Topic: Law
Only a couple of years late but the people captured in the war in Afghanistan are getting some small level of due process afforded to them. Prisoner Rights RevealedDue Process

In the words of attorney for some 51 of the prisoners, Rachel Meerpool, he described the procedures being contemplated as "inadequate and illegal, and they fail to satisfy the Courts ruling." This is pretty typical when the government feels no great compulsion to comply with court rulings they disagree with. The government will go very slowly and with as little actual progress towards compliance as possible. In the rage that followed the attack on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center it's understandable that any feeling human would act in a vengeful and rage filled way. But the government isn't allowed to do that. It's supposed to be there to protect us and to follow the constitution which is supposed to be our ultimate protection- from the government. When a government goes past the letter and the spirit of the constitution the only thing to seperate us from the dictatorships and totalitarian governments we rail against is our hollow rhetoric. In that case you have China and others responding to our complaints about their human rights violations with valid complaints about us. For every human being that is denied human rights in Guantanamo we are all lessened for it. Yes, we are enraged by the attacks and those people who attacked us attacked our way of life, they attacked our visions of our own freedom and our response to that was to lessen our own freedoms. It's not right, the government knows it's not right and yet they do it. They fight battles in court that they cannot win (if the constitution has any meaning at all) and they defend the idea that rights and constitutionality don't apply to everyone. It's our shame.

Homemade Flamethrower-Smells like Victory


I was dumbfounded when I saw this posted over at Gizmodo.com . Good lord I followed the link and there in all it's geeky glory was the step by step picture history of the creation of this pvc pipe flamethrower. A flamethrower tht shoots 25 feet. Homemade, by a teenager, the one pictured above. Amazing.

Neck Deep in Code-The pains of updating
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: NPR- Talk of the Nation
Topic: Mysteries of Life


I find myself sitting here with my happy DHTML menu software and having to relearn how to write and deal with DHTML. Arrgh. Most frustrating. My email address on the site is wrong and I'm trying to load up a friends biking page, I mean the page is up but I don't have the menu leading anyone there yet. Sort of a good idea. I've put a few pictures of some friends up, recent parties and such. House cleaning stuff, very exciting. Butterflies, a sweet and thoughtful token. I find presents like that to be most meaningful. Time to dive back into the menu problems.

Great News for Constitutionality
Now Playing: Tough Crowd-Comedy Central Show
Topic: Law
Great News for Constitutionality

All kinds of good news from the Supreme Court which comes on the heels of the recent (bad) Hiibel decision (which allows the states to stop you and require you give your name-beyond the Terry Stop rules). There is the MISSOURI v. SEIBERT decision which said that the Miranda warning decision is still quite valid. Police must inform you of your rights to remain silent and that anything you say can and will be held against you. The 'work around' employed by police increasingly has been to question a person, then mirandize them, then question them again and then using the first interrogation to work the confession, information they are looking for. No no no said Justice Souter, joined by Justice Stevens, Justice Ginsburg, and Justice Breyer-with Justice Kennedy in concurrence. By saying no to this strategy, the police can no longer use it as a interrogation technique.

HAMDI et al. v. RUMSFELD,- Yaser Esam Hamdi, an American citizen was in Afghanistan when Northern Alliance people caught him. When the US figured out that he was American, he was taken to the US and has been in the Brig for the duration. He had been labeled as a 'enemy combatant' which would give him, according to the government, no rights at all and in fact this designation would make him eligable to be kept in jail, without lawyers and without contact -Indefinitely. Justice O'Connor, joined by The Chief Justice, Justice Kennedy, and Justice Breyer, concluded that although Congress authorized the detention of combatants in the narrow circumstances alleged in this case, due process demands that a citizen held in the United States as an enemy combatant be given a meaningful opportunity to contest the factual basis for that detention before a neutral decisionmaker. The court said that you can't just throw someone in a hole and forget about them, theoretically, he gets his day in court. We know that it takes an interminal amount of time to get your day in court even if there is no question about your right to be there. This guy, perhaps a bad guy, has spent that time in a cell and he is still in a cell. Logically, constitutionally, by every idea of what is supposed to be good about America, you cannot be tossed into a cell indefinitely, this brings to mind the horror stories about the Man in the Iron Mask, -the sorts of things that happen in historically distant times or in third world dictatorships. We could feel superior in the knowledge that we are protected by a constitution and those idiots in other countries weren't. Instead, we are forced to sit here for years and hope that the Supreme Court does the right thing for the constitution and the country.
Having said that, if the government has a case then they should bring it, and if they don't then let him go.


RASUL et al. v. BUSH- Do the Guantanamo Bay people have any rights at all? Again, they've been there for years now with the US government saying of course these folks have no rights and we could keep them detained indefinitely. No review of their detention, of their incarceration, of their situation. Well of course, it's not like they are americans after all with rights, like say, umm, Hamdi? Padilla? Oops, never mind bad argument. Again, late but the Supreme Court does the right thing, Held: United States courts have jurisdiction to consider challenges to the legality of the detention of foreign nationals captured abroad in connection with hostilities and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay.

RUMSFELD V. PADILLA- Let's see, oops guys, wrong district, please refile again.