MARCUS ARELIUS YESTERDAY AND TODAY

There are certain signs that lead one to think progress is being made and there are other indications that progress is not being made. That General Keiley guy was finally fired from his post in connection with the Walter Reed scandal. This was one of the leading officials who has been for years instremental in the cover-up of the squalid conditions at Walter Reed. On the negative side there is those eight Special Prosecutors who George Bush has fired in the last few years because they were getting too close to the truth. Some believe there are conspiracies to keep the corporate status quo. Is Mark Hartman right. Is there some implicit conspiracy to make "Corporate Capitolisum" the official form of government in the world, both in China and in the US? Corporations of course get that name because they have all the Civil Rights of a human being, and at the same time they have liabilities. They can be sued as a human being can be sued. If you don't want to hold any specific human being responsible for an evil act just sue the corporation. According to Larry Elder "corporations don't pay taxes; they just pass them on to the consumer". I disagree with that but it's an interesting point of view. Gasoline prices are rising and oil corporations are getting rich off of that increase. We're hearing that summer blend gasoline is coming on line and therefore prices have to rise. Of course judging from the weather around here 25 deg. above normal, you would mistakenly think summer had arrived. Of course it's "springtime for prophets". Erwin from Sit & Sleep should be extatic. Now there is an all out media attack on Al Gore saying that the numbers are bogus in his book and movie. I'm beginning to wonder whether there will be another conspiracy to crush the electric car again. Now they have a new improved version of the electric car that uses a lithium ion betterey and has a much greater range and recharges much more quickly. Clearly such a car might be profitable and could get into wide spread use. As such - this car would be a threat to oil company corporate profits, and one wonders what measures they are going to pull out to get this car off the radar screen, as far as the public is concerned.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

AUGUST 16th. 2005 - AND EARLIER

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It’s Sunday morning and I tuned in the Jesus Christ show to hear one exchange. Jesus says in addition to God’s other attributes he’s a God of infinite justice. In other words he would never ask Abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering, he would never have accepted the “hanging before the Lord” of five of Michelle’s sons as an atoning sacrifice, and he would never have allowed Jeptha to sacrifice his daughter to the LORD as a fulfillment of an oath. I just want to get the record straight. One thing he said was that God can’t “Forgive” as in overlook sins as we might, for instance, if someone owed us money and we let it slide. One again he talked about an individual’s crimes against “The Man”. You can’t steal out of need, for instance. If Lazarus had stolen so much as a farthing from the Rich Man, he would have been in sin. Once again we have the subject of “eternal crime”. I’d like to go back to Rush Limbaugh and global warming. If man didn’t cause the problem, it’s also impossible for man to fix the problem. Let me ask you: does an ebola virus have a will Does an HIV virus have a will? He has no reasoning power to either commit or abatain from a certain crime. What you do is eliminate it because it’s evil. Indeed we punish the creator of computer viruses and kill the virus. We do not punish the virus. It doesn’t make any difference whether a dog attacks a man guilty of some crime, or the President of the United States. The penalty is the same; we destroy the dog and punish the owner. So how is it man can be guilty of committing an “Eternal” crime? In the first place, God hasn’t suffered any, as in the case of the ebola virus. In the second place man lacks the moral capacity to even understand eternity, so how can he commit an “Eternal” crime? If Jesus is right and that God, unlike us, being an God of unlimited Justice, is therefore unable to forgive, than I say “Be it done unto you as you have said. Were I Greek I’d be using the dreaded “middle voice”. If God is to be ruled by Infinite Justice, let him be judged by his own rules. (Selah) Mike doesn’t like the concept of the whole show.

Joseph Byden would seem to make a logical candidate for President on the Democratic side. He’s a good looking older man with a clear, appealing presentation. Unfortunately I disagree with him on specific issues. Both he and I agree that the John Roberts hearings ought to be a thorough hearing on all views. You’re appoint the man for life and “actuarial tables” say he will serve thirty years. Of course he did that “work on a case” for gay rights. I guess it doesn’t matter if you prostitute yourself to the highest bidder when you’re younger. Would Germans hire a man for a gov. post who once did a propaganda commercial for the Nazis? I fervently disagree with Byden on the Terry Shibo issue. As far as the war is concerned, it’s been said that we have “squandered” opportunities. I don’t see how; we’ve done the best we could. I’m happy to hear that our President now has put into place an Exit strategy. We are now gearing down our expectations for a new government and what rights the people will or won’t have. The Sunis are now coming back into prominence. The thinking is “both the Sunnis and the Shiites, are evil, but at least the Sunnis are evil and sane, rather than being evil and insane, like the Shiites.” It’s even been said that Sunni and Shiite are getting together to ward off insurgence. That’s a good sign. It’s also a good sign if there is spontaneous training of troops on our side going on. That will speed up the process. The Dr. Phil line cam be invoked that the insurgents are “raising the price of Poker” much as a two year old throwing a tantrum. The object is to break his will. Authorities agree now that the current insurgency is sort of a desperate “last gasp”. In late January we said that the Corner had been turned in Iraq. I’m definitely more confident now than a year ago.

KOLA had the Beatles at Shea Stadium. There were 56,000 fans there, as opposed to only 18,000 at the Hollywood Bowl. It was the biggest rock concert ever held to date. The event was held on Sunday night, August 15^th. 1965. I question that date; I thought it was a tad later. The next day or so KRLA played songs from the concert. They said about “going up to one hundred watts”. I guess that was a joke. They used the house P A system. There is generally less screaming in the Beatle recordings than that is in the Hollywood Bowl ones. People said that John was friendly and Paul was nervous. People were saying “John went crazy, playing the electric piano with his elbows”. John was doing Japanese yells. KLSX had early piano versions of two John songs.

Does God have Asburger Syndrome? One family gave birth to five autistic children and they claim it’s generic. I’ve never heard of autism being genetic before. But if Asburger Syndrone entails only relating to “certain things” that are obcessing on your mind all the time, God certainly fits this bill if you listen to the Jesus Christ show. His view of your problems is basically, “I don’t care”. There no “extenuating circum-stances” in life. It’s impossible for God to imagine how anyone could violate the Torah under any circumstances. But also it’s an axiom that Rape can be defined as “Any attempt by any force to altar your predestined path in life, ie. to violate your “Free Will”. The word “Free Will” has an Orwellian definition acc. to Jesus. We know that one thing God cannot do is altar what happens once it’s been set. Any attempt to warn any indiv-idual of some impending problem if they continue along their set course is deemed by God to be “Raping” that individual. In essence, according to Jesus, Jesus died for the Elect and only the Elect. Wake up and smell the coffee.

This is Saturday July 30, 2005 at eight o clock and we have just listened to the past four Governors of the State of California debate issues on TV. They had three commercial breaks in the first 25 minutes. That’s too many. Now Law and Order is on. Of course I believe Proposition 13 was one of the biggest mistakes we have and had I been Jerry Brown in 1978 I would have stood my ground and not have been “Born Again” on the issue. I’m sure the public wouldn’t mind the median price of a home being two hundred thousand dollars cheaper. You’ll never know will happen. Brown points out that Industry pays a much lower percentage of the property tax now than they used to. I think reapportionment done by retired Liberal judges is a ghastly idea. I’m also against having mixed party primaries. I thought that Ballot proposition was an terrible idea. I am in favor of abolishing “mandated increase” spending on programs. We need to get a grip on our funds. However I am against calling a special election this November 8^th. It’s a waste of taxpayer’s money. As you know I’m even having second thoughts as to whether the recall was even a good idea. Perhaps we should have tried a little harder to work with Gray Davis. I am basically opposed to electing the Governor and Lieutenant Governor together. This isn’t Washington; the situation is different. I am against giving Mayors power over the schools. It was set up the way it is for a reason. I can’t think of anything worse than some pro gay Mayor like in San Francisco making policy that in-fluences our kids. I associate Mayors with the idea of a “political boss” structure, too. I was for Prop 187 but the Federal Government has its own counter-productive ideas on the subject of immigration. I am and always have been against the State Lottery. The fact it we were promised it would solve our tax problems. Instead poor people are only getting poorer. I think I would ban all advertising of any gambling on TV and Radio. If you want to cut taxes, cut cigarette taxes. Like the Lottery, these are regressive taxes on the poor. Personally I think we need a real pruning job on Death Row. If they don’t start executing more convicted murderers soon I’m afraid some Court is going to step in and say that the Death penalty is inherently unfair only singling out a few.

The Jesus Christ show was on. The last thing Jesus said was an affirmation of his denial of Reincarnation as a doctrine. He says the counsel of Nicea considered it and excluded it. The only verse against Reincarnation is that vague one in Hebrews. Hebrews is the book without an author and by the Counsel’s own guidelines, should be excluded as a canonized book. A chief logical reason for denying reincarnation would be that we have no spirit or “soul” that is separate from our DNA and the chemical structure of our brains to “continue” after we die. Obviously this logic excludes other things besides reincarnation. Jesus talked about prayer and how it’s a good idea, though it sure doesn’t accomplish in me the things he says it will. Jesus was asked about a Magic act on TV and says the man is a “false prophet” and you could get into idolatry, and it’s all just entertainment mixed with trickery. Jesus was asked about tithing and says you get as a churchman all that free stuff like free counseling, and the Pastor can be woken up at any time in the night when called upon. (I highly doubt that!) and how you’re reaping the benefit of all that air conditioning and parking and utility bills. The life the show seems to “advertise” is one of conjecture and fantasy, and is not obtainable by pious acts. If I read Christian doctrine right, “Quid pro quo” is not a doctrine.

Last night it was two “Law and Order” s. You still can’t kill someone because they’re a convicted child molester. Jesus today said “If you are angry with someone you are guilty of murder”. That’s just false. Murder is the taking of a human life. You have to commit that act. But if Jesus wants to play that game- what about “lusting in your heart?” Is that adultery? Which is the greater offence? –Adultery or murder? If the crime of murder is to be rendered near meaningless by Jesus’ edict, doesn’t that make it irrelevant whether or not you have actually committed adultery? (Selah)

There are two more axioms you should take with you
from today's commentary. One of them is
GOD DOESN'T ALLOW DO-OVERS
and the other one is
PEOPLE DON'T CHANGE

"There you have it, Gentlemen.
What more evidence do we need?"