In A Moment

In A Moment

Sure we know the problem lies
With some insecurities
But we'll never see eye to eye
As long as our tongues are tied
And we'll never be seen as one
Until we find love

In a moment it could happen
We could wake up and be laughing
In a moment it could happen
We could forgive and be happy

It's a shame our world responds to life
As a puzzle in disguise
I wish our course would lead us towards
The peace and loving kind
But we'll never walk hand in hand
Until we let old wounds mend
And we'll never sing songs as one
Until we find love

In a moment some wisdom could be learned
In a moment new voices could be heard
In a moment we could make heads turn
In a moment we could change

…..Collective Soul

Collective Soul is an Alternative rock band from Georgia that dominated mainstream radio in the 1990s with their unique brand of pop melodies and post-Grunge rock grooves. Their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid (released in 1994) spawned the massive hit single "Shine". Subsequent albums had fewer and fewer hits and the band has yet to re-create the success of its debut album - although they continue to record and release albums

Afgan Women Gather to celebrate.....

Yes, gathering to celebrate International Womens Day....

I'm not making this up.

Geez.

A real man's love song...

I’D RATHER SLEEP IN A BOX
LIKE A BUM ON THE STREET
THAN A FINE FEATHERED BED
WITHOUT YOU LITTLE OL’ COLD FEET

I RATHER BE DEAF
DUMB AND STONE BLIND
THAN TO KNOW THAT YOUR MORNINGS
CAN NEVER BE MINE

I’D RATHER DIE YOUNG
THAN TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU
AND I’D RATHER GO HUNGRY
THAN TO EAT LONESOME STEW

YOU KNOW IT’S ONCE IN A LIFETIME
AND IT WON’T COME AGAIN
IT’S HERE AND IT’S GONE
ON A MAGNOLIA WIND

I’D RATHER NOT WALK
THROUGH THE GARDEN AGAIN
IF I CAN’T CATCH YOUR SCENT
ON A MAGNOLIA WIND

IF IT EVER COMES TIME
WELL IT COMES TIME TO GO
SIS PACK UP YOUR FIDDLE
SIS PACK UP YOUR BOW

IF I CAN’T DANCE WITH YOU
THEN I WON’T DANCE AT ALL
I’LL JUST SIT THIS ONE OUT
WITH MY BACK TO THE WALL

I’D RATHER NOT HEAR
PRETTY MUSIC AGAIN
IF I CAN’T CATCH YOUR FIDDLE
ON A MAGNOLIA WIND

IF I CAN’T CATCH YOUR SCENT
ON A MAGNOLIA WIND
.....Guy Clark

Guy Clark...."Baton Rouge"

Guy Clark More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

"I'm gonna get me some alligator shoes."

The Natural Flow...

Effortless Action
by Owen Waters

The Chinese philosopher, Lao Tse ("Lay-OTE-say") gave
teachings which were designed to confuse the conscious mind.
The idea was that, when the conscious mind tires and gets out
of the way, the seeker could discover the deeper truths within.

Lao Tse is credited with the 2500 year-old work, the Tao Te
Ching, which is full of apparent contradictions or paradoxes.
He refers to the Tao (the "Dow") as that which is everything
and yet nothing. What he means is that the Tao - the Absolute,
the Isness, or Infinite Being - is the transcendent
consciousness which is behind all manifestation. It is not the
active manifestation of the created universe, but the original
consciousness behind it. It is that which, in silence and
unchanging perfection, always was and always will be. And yet,
so the paradox goes, all of manifestation came from it and
therefore is it.

Similarly, he uses paradox to promote the philosophy of Wu Wei
("Woo Way") as the way of "action without action." Sounds
impossible? That's the point. He wanted people to give up
making logical sense of the idea and, instead, go within to
find the truth behind the paradox.

The principle of Wu Wei really means effortless action. The
secret to achieving effortless action is to realize that there
is a natural flow of influences at work in all parts of the
universe. You sense the natural flow of the moment and act
within that flow. If the moment is not right for a certain type
of action, then the attuned person delays the task. When they
sense that the right moment has arrived, then they act and
easily accomplish the task.

It can also mean not forcing a situation to be what it isn't.
If a situation comes about which is beyond your control, then
making the best of it is often the elegant solution.





The saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again,"
is attributed to the 14th Century Scottish king, Robert the
Bruce. According to legend, he once took refuge in a cave,
where he watched a spider trying to spin a web. It failed
several times to make a connection from one area of the caves
roof to another, but each time it started all over again until
it finally succeeded. People, today, take that saying to mean
that if something doesn't work, you need to be obstinate and
keep trying harder until you overcome all obstacles and
eventually make it happen by sheer force of will.

The Wu Wei approach to life is quite the opposite. It suggests
that, if at first you don't succeed, there is a reason for it.
It means that you are not acting with the natural flow of
energy within that place and time and it may also mean that you
need to discover a more suitable solution.

First, take a deep breath, relax and step back from the
situation. After that, you'll be able to judge it objectively
and in a state of balance. Then:

A) Decide if you're trying to force something into existence
that shouldn't be, or

B) Look for a better solution to achieve your objective,
and/or

C) Wait for your innate sense of timing to feel right.

One of the benefits of the spiritual consciousness which is
emerging in the New Reality is the ability to sense the natural
flow of universal influences and know when the time is right
for certain types of action.

The legacy of O or The Taxman Cometh Soon...

One, two, three, four...
Hrmm!
One, two, (one, two, three, four!)

Let me tell you how it will be;
There's one for you, nineteen for me.
'Cause I'm the taxman,
Yeah, I'm the taxman.

Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don't take it all.
'Cause I'm the taxman,
Yeah, I'm the taxman.

(if you drive a car, car;) - I'll tax the street;
(if you try to sit, sit;) - I'll tax your seat;
(if you get too cold, cold;) - I'll tax the heat;
(if you take a walk, walk;) - I'll tax your feet.

Taxman!

'Cause I'm the taxman,
Yeah, I'm the taxman.

Don't ask me what I want it for, (ah-ah, mister Wilson)
If you don't want to pay some more. (ah-ah, mister heath)
'Cause I'm the taxman,
Yeah, I'm the taxman.

Now my advice for those who die, (taxman)
Declare the pennies on your eyes. (taxman)
'Cause I'm the taxman,
Yeah, I'm the taxman.

And you're working for no one but me.

Taxman!

....George Harrison

A Tax Poem

Subject: A TAX POEM

At first I thought this was funny...then I realized the awful truth of it.
Be sure to read all the way to the end!

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt..

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words
upon his tomb,
' Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recu rring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What in the world happened? Can you spell 'politicians!' And I still have to 'press 1' for English!?!?!?!?

Thousands attend global warming protest....

Barack fools us....

•Whole world will pay for America's electoral mistake

A young student friend e-mailed me on Tuesday night.
"Have locked myself in my room because the place is full of little idiots -- who cannot spell Barack Obama's name and could not name one of his foreign or domestic policies -- running around screaming obscenities about George Bush, conservatives and how Sarah Palin is a bitch. I love democracy!"
Even so, the people spoke. A victory for the hysterical Oprah Winfrey, the mad racist preacher Jeremiah Wright, the mainstream media who abandoned any sense of objectivity long ago, Europeans who despise America largely because they depend on her, comics who claim to be dangerous and fearless but would not dare attack genuinely powerful special interest groups. A victory for Obama-worshippers everywhere.
A victory for the cult of the cult. A man who has done little with his life but has written about his achievements as if he had found the cure for cancer in between winning a marathon and building a nuclear reactor with his teeth. Victory for style over substance, hyperbole over history, rabble-raising over reality.
A victory for Hollywood, the most dysfunctional community in the world. Victory for Streisand, Spielberg, Soros and Sarandon.
Victory for those who prefer welfare to will and interference to independence. For those who settle for group think and herd mentality rather than those who fight for individual initiative and the right to be out of step with meager political fashion.
Victory for a man who is no friend of freedom. He and his people have already stated that media has to be controlled so as to be balanced, without realizing the extraordinary irony within that statement. Like most liberal zealots, the Obama worshippers constantly speak of Fox and Limbaugh, when the vast bulk of television stations and newspapers are drastically liberal and anti-conservative.
Senior Democrat Chuck Schumer said that just as pornography should be censored, so should talk radio. In other words, one of the few free and open means of popular expression may well be cornered and beaten by bullies who even in triumph cannot tolerate any criticism and opposition.
WEAK TOWARD ENEMIES
A victory for those who believe the state is better qualified to raise children than the family, for those who prefer teachers' unions to teaching and for those who are naively convinced that if the West is sufficiently weak towards its enemies, war and terror will dissolve as quickly as the tears on the face of a leftist celebrity.
A victory for social democracy even after most of Europe has come to the painful conclusion that social democracy leads to mediocrity, failure, unemployment, inflation, higher taxes and economic stagnation. A victory for intrusive lawyers, banal sentimentalists, social extremists and urban snobs.
Also a defeat for one of the weakest presidential candidates in living memory.
Why would anyone vote for a man who seemed incapable of outlining his policies and instead repeatedly emphasized a noble but, if we are candid, largely irrelevant war record?
He was joined by a woman who was defended so vehemently by her supporters when it was cuttingly evident that she is years away from being, and perhaps never will be, a serious candidate for senior national office.
Most of all it was a terrible defeat for democracy and the United States. A politician of nothing defeated a nothing politician and a credulous electorate screamed in adoration. I fear we will all suffer very much indeed.
By MICHAEL COREN, TORONTO SUN

A sand sculpture of Barack Obama in Puri, India

We'll See
Once upon a time, there was a farmer in the central region of China. He didn't have a lot of money and, instead of a tractor, he used an old horse to plow his field.

One afternoon, while working in the field, the horse dropped dead. Everyone in the village said, Oh, what a horrible thing to happen. The farmer said simply, We'll see. He was so at peace and so calm, that everyone in the village got together and, admiring his attitude, gave him a new horse as a gift.

Everyone's reaction now was, What a lucky man. And the farmer said, We'll see.

A couple days later, the new horse jumped a fence and ran away. Everyone in the village shook their heads and said, What a poor fellow!

The farmer smiled and said, We'll see.

Eventually, the horse found his way home, and everyone again said, What a fortunate man.

The farmer said, We'll see.

Later in the year, the farmer's young boy went out riding on the horse and fell and broke his leg. Everyone in the village said, What a shame for the poor boy.

The farmer said, We'll see.

Two days later, the army came into the village to draft new recruits. When they saw that the farmer's son had a broken leg, they decided not to recruit him.

Everyone said, What a fortunate young man.

The farmer smiled again - and said We'll see.


Moral of the story:
There's no use in overreacting to the events and circumstances of our everyday lives. Many times what looks like a setback, may actually be a gift in disguise. And when our hearts are in the right place, all events and circumstances are gifts that we can learn valuable lessons from.

Modern Day Nazis

Jan 18, 2009

Newly sworn in Hezbollah members raise their hands during a ceremony in support of the Gaza Strip, in the southern village of Qana, Lebanon.

Photo: AP

"Prisoner" and "Secret Agent" star dies....

The actor often played villains on TV and in movies. But he gained his greatest fame as the TV spy John Drake. He also won two Emmys for 'Columbo.'

By Dennis McLellan (LA Times)

Patrick McGoohan, a two-time Emmy Award-winning actor who starred as a British spy in the 1960s TV series "Secret Agent" and gained cult status later in the decade as the star of the enigmatic series "The Prisoner," has died. He was 80.

McGoohan, whose career involved stage, screen and TV, died Tuesday at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica after a short illness, said Cleve Landsberg, McGoohan's son-in-law. The family did not provide further details.

It was the height of James Bond mania in 1965 when McGoohan showed up on American TV screens in "Secret Agent," a British-produced series in which he played John Drake, a special security agent working as a spy for the British government.

The hourlong series, which ran on CBS until 1966, was an expanded version of “Danger Man,” a short-lived, half-hour series on CBS in 1961 in which McGoohan played the same character.

But it was McGoohan's next British-produced series, “The Prisoner,” on CBS in 1968 and 1969, that became a cult classic that spawned fan clubs, conventions and college study.

Once described in The Times as an "espionage tale as crafted by Kafka," "The Prisoner" starred McGoohan as a presumed British agent who, after resigning his top-security job, is abducted in London and taken to a mysterious prison resort called the Village.

Known only as No. 6, he is interrogated by a succession of officials who are known as No. 2. But he refuses all methods of breaking him down to reveal his past or why he resigned, and he repeatedly makes failed attempts to escape.

The seemingly idyllic village contains "seeing eyes" that monitor activities and signs such as "A Still Tongue Makes a Peaceful Life."

McGoohan co-created and executive-produced the series, which ran for only 17 episodes, as well as wrote and directed several episodes.

In a 1967 interview with The Times, he described the series as "Brave New World" stuff.

"Nobody has a name, everyone wears a number," he said. "It's a reflection of the pressure on all of us today to be numbered, to give up our individualism. This is a contemporary subject, not science fiction. I hope these things will be recognized by the audience. It's not meant to be subtle. It's meant to say: This little village is our world."

Of the enduring cult status of the series, McGoohan once said: "Mel [Gibson] will always be Mad Max, and me, I will always be a number."

McGoohan, who reportedly turned down an offer to be the big screen's original James Bond, appeared in films such as "The Three Lives of Thomasina," "Mary, Queen of Scots," "Silver Streak," "Escape From Alcatraz," "Scanners," "Ice Station Zebra" and Gibson's "Braveheart," in which he played England's sadistic King Edward I.

In his review of "Braveheart" in The Times, critic Peter Rainer wrote: "Patrick McGoohan is in possession of perhaps the most villainous enunciation in the history of acting."

As a guest star on Peter Falk's TV detective series "Columbo," McGoohan won Emmys in 1975 and 1990.

Falk once described McGoohan, who also occasionally worked as a director and writer on the "Columbo" mysteries, as being "mesmerizing" as an actor.

"There are many very, very talented people in this business, but there are only a handful of genuinely original people," Falk told the Hollywood Reporter in 2004. "I think Patrick McGoohan belongs in that small select group of truly original people."

He was born to Irish parents in the Astoria section of Queens, N.Y., on March 19, 1928. Some months later, his family returned to Ireland, where he grew up on a farm before moving to Sheffield, England, when he was 7.

In the late '40s, after working a number of jobs, he became a stage manager at Sheffield Repertory Theatre, where he soon launched his acting career.

In 1951, he married actress Joan Drummond, with whom he had three daughters, Catherine, Anne and Frances.

In 1959, he received a London Drama Critics Award for his performance in a London stage production of Ibsen's "Brand."

On television, McGoohan also starred in the short-lived 1977 medical drama "Rafferty."

Sharif Ali, McGoohan's agent, said McGoohan had been writing and had two acting offers on the table before he died.

"He really didn't talk much about his illness," said Ali. "We were too busy talking about his future; he was excited to get back to work. He had so much more to give."

(My comment: I was a big fan of both shows way back in the day. The shows were really different from tv in those days. Both shows drew me in with a "suspension of disbelief".
Black and white tv at that. RIP Mac)

Imad Mughniyeh

I just caught on to this guy. We got him last February. He was truly a bad guy. Go here to see some photos of his foul deeds. Good riddance on him.

Starting the new year.....

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"
~Alice (Through the Looking Glass)

The Silence...

Vernon Howard's
SECRETS OF LIFE (R)

**********************************************************************


"Here is what we must do: we must get our usual, conditioned,
limited thoughts out of the way. We must become mentally silent.
That silence leaves room for the voice of wisdom from within.
Nothing is more practical in everyday affairs than this inner
voice."

Psycho-Pictography, p. 67


Go to the Bookstore link at http://www.anewlife.org/html/home.html

Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings to you from The Illinois's Governor's Mansion

Major free stuff for pcs...

This is the web address of the free office suite made by Sun. It is the same thing (well kinda) as Microsoft Office with all the different apps in it. And its FREE. If you don't have MS Office (which changes every few years and MS charges BIG BUCKS for each new version) this is the cheap man's dream. Open Office is fully compatible with Windows or Ubuntu (Linux).


While we are talking cheap, Ubuntu is a open source, pc graphical user interface (gui) which is a FREE replacement for Windows operating systems. You can download this from the web, burn your cd from the download and have a bootable, installable latest version of Ubuntu (Linux). You can install it on its own or try it out by installing side by side with your current version of Windows. Ubuntu is fully supported on the web by a growing number of enthusiasts.

Hey, Microsoft is charging higher and higher for Windows products and their latest product is not so good (Vista). MS is also beginning to put limits on how many times you can install Windows without calling home (MS). MS is now working on a new version of Windows (because Vista is so bad) due out in 2010. I'm sure the price will be really high (relative to my income).
And is FREE not a good thing?

Click photo for larger image.

A Happy Sky Over Los Angeles
Credit & Copyright: Dave Jurasevich (Mt. Wilson Observatory)

Explanation: Sunday, the sky seemed to smile over much of planet Earth. Visible the world over was an unusual superposition of our Moon and the planets Venus and Jupiter. Pictures taken at the right time show a crescent Moon that appears to be a smile when paired with the planetary conjunction of seemingly nearby Jupiter and Venus. Pictured above is the scene as it appeared from Mt. Wilson Observatory overlooking Los Angeles, California, USA after sunset on 2008 November 30. Highest in the sky and farthest in the distance is the planet Jupiter. Significantly closer and visible to Jupiter's lower left is Venus, appearing through Earth's atmospheric clouds as unusually blue. On the far right, above the horizon, is our Moon, in a waxing crescent phase. Thin clouds illuminated by the Moon appear unusually orange. Sprawling across the bottom of the image are the hills of Los Angeles, many covered by a thin haze, while LA skyscrapers are visible on the far left. The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will continue to be visible toward the west after sunset during much of this month. Hours after the taking of this image, however, the Moon approached the distant duo, briefly eclipsed Venus, and then moved on.

A little more Vernon Howard...

"Give thought to this thought: I live and feel my own nature.
I live and feel only my own nature. So my inner location,
whatever and wherever it may be, is the only factor that
determines whether I'm going to be happy or unhappy, free
or chained.

That is astonishingly clear information for you to wander
around in, meander around in, all day long. And that
revelation that you only live, feel, experience yourself
will open dozens of doors to self-transformation and self-
uplifting." ....Vernon Howard

From Vernon Howard

Vernon Howard's
SECRETS OF LIFE (R)

**********************************************************************


"Unpleasant behavior is sick behavior. Few people want to think
about this fact, but you will do so. From now on, you will see
that unpleasant people are sick people. You know the thousand
varieties of unpleasantness including sarcastic accusations,
delirious demands, repulsive self-worship, a cold and hostile
face. If another person is unpleasant, realize that your wish
for sunlight must have nothing to do with his darkness."

A Treasury of Trueness, # 476