The idea that the President and/or Democrats are making war on religion is absurd. War with religion would be both ridiculous and futile. That allegation is outrageous demagoguery and political malarkey.. A fence (or a wall) between your religion and mine will make us better friends, believe me. "Good fences make good neighbors." That's old-fashioned common sense and common courtesy. We each think our own religion or worldview is the right one, but we can and must live together with our differences and we don't have to go to war about it. No religion or denomination has the right to impose its values on another. When you try to advertise yours on OUR court house square with a creche or pray over a loud speaker at a football game, you are trespassing on my property and invading my privacy. The courts have upheld that fact. . If there is a war, evangelical Christians are making it. The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees " the free exercise of religion", mine as well as yours, as well as freedom to practice no religion at all. The simple fact is that your rights end where mine begin, and vice versa.
Anne Williams
Monday, February 27, 2012
WAR ON RELIGION? ABSURD!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Don't think about it (maybe it will go away)
Call of Life is the first feature-length documentary to fully investigate the growing threat posed by the rapid and massive loss of biodiversity on the planet. Featuring leading scientists, social scientists, environmentalists and others, the film explores the scope, the causes, and the predicted global impact of a mass extinction occurring on a scale not seen since the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
If current trends continue, scientists warn that half or more of all plant and animal species on Earth will become extinct within the next few decades. Entirely caused by human activities, this contemporary mass extinction is disrupting and destroying the complex, interconnected biological systems that support life on earth.
Through interviews with eminent biologists and ecologists, the film examines the primary drivers of species loss: habitat destruction, global warming, pollution, and invasive species, all compounded by the expanding human population and our consumption patterns.
Call of Life tells the story not only of a crisis in nature, but also in human nature. In interviews with psychologists, anthropologists, and historians, the film looks beyond the immediate causes of the mass extinction to consider how cultural and economic myths, along with deep-seated behavioral patterns have allowed this crisis to develop, continue to reinforce it, and even determine our response to it.
Call of Life examines the collective and individual choices we have before us, and how the decisions we make -- or fail to make -- in the next decade will affect the habitability of Earth possibly for millions of years to come.
Visit the website The Video Project for more info>>
Free Speech Done Right
This is what the LOVE police are about... Realise who and what you are as an amazing race of beings... Stop letting your life cloud your soul from being free...!
Step right up and watch as one man in London with a megaphone and a cheeky sense of humor gives voice to the many narratives of consumerism—e.g., “Meditation is a waste of good shopping time!”—and has some fun at the local police’s expense while he’s at it. —KA
Original link from Truthdig.com.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Darque Wing on the Decline of America
Here's a good measure to see just how far America has declined: in the last century, the nation undertook major initiatives to expand the infrastructure that helped to create the mega-economy that we once had. For example, the electrification of rural America - it was a huge financial risk, but the federal government was responsible for bringing electricity to much of rural America. Businesses had already sprung up to deliver electricity to cities, but business interests saw it as too expensive with too little return to bring electricity out to the rest of the country - an initiative that completely changed life in states like Iowa, which have no metropolitan centers and thus would still be ignored by power companies if it weren't for the 1936 Rural Electrification Act.
Or the interstate highways - like electricity, these roads serve as an integral part of the social and commercial lives of Americans. No corporation would have laid out the enormous cost of building such a highway network, and they certainly wouldn't have allowed anyone to use it for free. And yet, since the passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, championed by Eisenhower (a Republican pushing for massive federal spending! gasp!), we've built more than 46,000 miles of interstate highway. Without it, our way of life would cease to exist in about 24 hours - that much of our business is conducted with the help of travel, that much of our food is delivered by truck, that much of our lives depend on mobility.
When Kennedy called for a moon shot, the technology and expertise to create and use it simply didn't exist. But that one call, and plenty of government funding, created a push for education in math and science like none before. A generation of engineers, designers, materials scientists, physicists, and cosmologists was eagerly trained and put on the job, all on the government dime. Not only did we get to the moon in style, we achieved historical advancements in everything from plastics to aerospace design to communications, advancements that became some of the most essential technologies of our day.
So what are we doing now to build the infrastructure of tomorrow, to spur on the economic activity of the 21st century and beyond? Fuck all, that's what. We're letting the bridges and highways that our grandparents built decay. We're desperately seeking back-breaking austerity measures and chasing the dreams of people who sincerely wish for a return to the values (and, apparently, standard of living) of the 18th century. Not only are we ignoring the projects that could create as much opportunity in the future as rural electrification and highways did last century, but we're actually taking a step backward by not maintaining the infrastructure we do have.
What are the projects of tomorrow we're ignoring so that we can debate how best to deliver tax breaks to billionaires? For one, the internet. With SOPA, our leaders have declared war on the internet, stifling it just to make sure nobody gets free music. Meanwhile, thanks to lack of competition (functionally identical to a monopoly state), telecommunications companies are charging customers outrageous fees for access to "high-speed" internet access (most of which is carried on the cable system from the telegraph era, the very best of late-nineteenth-century tech). Meanwhile, those nasty socialist countries - you know, the ones with governments that spend tax money on social programs instead of oil wars? - are building the internet infrastructure of tomorrow, with speeds many times what we see here in America, and for a much lower cost, if any. And it isn't just about letting people log onto Facebook or looking at porn, either - billions of dollars in business every day count on the internet for everything from ordering to internal communications to advertising. If we looked at the internet like our mid-twentieth-century counterparts, our Congress would be looking to create a federally-funded fiberoptic network of astronomical speed, and then delivering it across the country - all as a public utility, in the interest of improving the social and commercial lifestyle of tomorrow.
But no, instead of creating the environment in which everyone prospers, we're more interested in de-funding everything to afford more tax breaks for rich people. People talk about the decline of America, as if it has something to do with gays getting married or how many "czars" the President appoints. Bull. If you want to see just how much America has declined, look no further than the difference between how we used to embrace opportunity and how we now quash it.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
My Beloved Mother's Passing
September 15th, 1925 - December 4th, 2011
She was adjusting well to living alone without my dad, Bob Urban who died in July, at the Atria Willow Park independent living community where she, not surprisingly, made many friends, going to the many activities there, not to mention visits from her sons, daughter-in-laws, nieces, nephews and grandchildren.
About a week or so ago, she began having shortness of breath, weakness and loss of appetite, where eventually a CT scan confirmed the cancer had spread to her lungs and was sent home with the assessment that she had time to settle her affairs. She was weak from the loss of appetite and breathing difficulty, so I decided to stay overnight with Travis and Connor to keep watch over her. On Saturday, her at home healthcare nurse took one look at her and told me that she needed to go to Hospice now and with her help, got her into Hospice of East Texas Home Place. We all thought we had enough time to make adjustments to moms changed condition, but Mom's call home came Sunday morning. The hospice nurse and I agreed earlier that morning that I had to call the family in immediately. I could see that she was slipping away from me. I called and sent out texts to my Aunt Pid, brothers and Terri, "Mom is dying." I was alone with Mom as I could see her life was fading from her body. Were we going to have to endure this alone?
Just then her baby sister came in and joined me as we held her hands as each breath grew more shallow. I said to her, "Mom, Pid and I are with you. I love you with all my heart. We all love you. You don't have to hold on. You can let go. We're all gong to be okay. Your mother and father are waiting for you along with your sisters. And Dad wants his Francey back. Go to the light... go to the light. I love you Momma."
And the most amazing thing happened. Although Mom was not responsive all morning, she took a deep breath and cried,
"YES!"
Moments later, she took her last breath as she passed into eternity.
Aside from the birth of my children, It was the most precious moment of my life.
I feel so lucky to have the profound gift of being able to call Sarah Frances 'Momma.' I will forever remember her loving voice singing to me as a child,
I love you, I love you, I do.
Oh, Andy oh, Andy
I love you, I love you, it's true!"
and seeing the love pouring from her heart as she did the same to my children. I miss you terribly, mother. I know in the coming days that pain will subside and be replaced with fond memories.
Andrew Allison Urban
December 06, 2011
SARAH FRANCES URBAN
Sarah Frances Urban was born to Dr. John N. Bone and Gaynelle Bailey Bone in Jacksonville, Texas on September 15, 1925. Schools attended were Jacksonville High School - graduating in 1943; Lon Morris College and Trinity University – graduating in 1947; and post-graduate studies at Lamar University. Frances was married to Robert Edward Urban in 1947 in Jacksonville. They lived and worked in Ft. Worth one year before moving to Corpus Christi where they lived for nine years. She taught school there before two of their sons were born. Frances moved with her husband to Port Arthur in 1957, where their third son was born. They lived in the Port Arthur area for 40 years before moving to Tyler in 1997. Frances taught in public and a parochial school for 18 years in all.
While raising a family in Corpus Christi and Port Arthur, Frances was active in the Sunday school, Choir, Bell choir, Presbyterian Women, and Deacons. Memberships in other organizations important to her were the D.R.T. and P.E.O. in Port Arthur and in Tyler. Frances was a Literacy volunteer in Port Arthur and in Tyler. Having used a word processor in Port Arthur for her church and club work, she got a computer when she moved to Tyler, which broadened the possibilities for developing undiscovered talents. A favorite pastime was developed for taking digital pictures and making greeting cards. This enabled her to make birthday cards for her large family of siblings, children and grandchildren with their pictures included. She was able to use her computer skills for the women’s activities of the First Presbyterian Church in Tyler.
Frances, who died December 4, 2011, was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, of 64 years. She is survived by son David, and wife Melissa, grandchildren Michael Thorn-Leeson, wife Jill, and son Parker, and Patricia Thorn-Leeson; son Edward and grandson Zachary; son Andy and wife Terri, and grandsons Justin, Travis, and Connor.
Two sisters preceded Frances in death: Kathryn Chatfield, Anna Ruth Beall and Minerva Bassett. Frances is survived by one brother, Robert Bone, and one sister Mary Alice Adamson; 14 nieces and nephews, and many other relatives and friends.
Memorial Service will be held Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 1:30 at First Presbyterian Church in Tyler, Texas. Reception to follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Children’s Day Care Ministry at First Presbyterian Church.