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20110228
BC Hydro towers near 116 St & 73a Ave, Delta
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Skytrain @ 22nd Stn - Look! it's the Sun!
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View from North End of Skytrain Platform of Surrey Central Station
A view from downtown Central City. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android |
Insomnia Inspires me
2/28/2011: Insomnia inspires me to post this blog. While I am grateful for this inspiration, my ego has also reached for a dangerous solution to the fatigue: mirtazapine to sedate me and caffeine-laced beverages to keep me hour going.
This is not my choice: sedatives are for bedtime, and caffeine does not replace lost sleep.
So once this blog is posted, I shall yet attempt to sleep.
This is not my choice: sedatives are for bedtime, and caffeine does not replace lost sleep.
So once this blog is posted, I shall yet attempt to sleep.
The Samurai Creed Amplified
by Anonymous, 1300s CE, Japan
These are guidelines, and thus are metaphor for mindful living.
- I have no parents; I make the heaven and earth my mother and father.
- 'I' refers to the ego as the seat of individuality.
- 'No parents' implies that the healthy ego is unborn.
- 'Heaven and earth' refers to the deep spiritual meaning of man as the conduit between heaven and earth. This requires daily practice.
- 'My mother and father' implies viewing heaven and earth as dear as one's parents.
- 'I' refers to the ego as the seat of individuality.
- I have no home; I make awareness my dwelling.
- 'I' as the ego is not a fixed entity. It is dynamic and in constant motion.
- 'No home' implies that the ego does not actually dwell in the body like a soul or an imaginary thing. Rather, the ego is a distinct characteristic of a sentient being, be it human.
- Then this 'I', not being fixed in place, is free to move with the flow of the mind.
- 'Awareness' refers to the sole purpose of the ego to become healthy and free.
- 'My dwelling' implies that awareness is the one abode in which the ego is eager to seek shelter in.
- 'I' as the ego is not a fixed entity. It is dynamic and in constant motion.
- I have no life and death; I make the tides of breathing my life and death.
- 'I' is awareness that respects all that which is.
- 'Life and death' refers to the notion that breathing meditation helps us to focus on life and death.
- 'I' is the ebb and flow of breath itself.
- 'The tides of breathing' refer to breathing itself, which comes and goes like the tide.
- 'My life and death' also implies the ego is alive when one is awake, and appears to die when one is asleep. In a deeper sense, life refers to "awareness" and the spiritual life. In contrast, death refers to the worldly life.
- 'I' is awareness that respects all that which is.
- I have no divine power; I make honesty my divine power.
- 'Divine power' implies a spiritual gift.
- 'Honesty' is that spiritual gift.
- 'Divine power' implies a spiritual gift.
- I have no means; I make understanding my means.
- 'Means' refers to resources available to the mind.
- 'Understanding' is the means by which the mind makes awareness its sole purpose.
- 'Means' refers to resources available to the mind.
- I have no magic secrets; I make character my magic secret.
- 'Magic secrets' refers not to mysticism. For no one knows their own true character until they come to accept other people's character as they become aware of their own.
- I have no body; I make endurance my body.
- 'No body' implies that material comfort is not enough.
- 'Endurance' refers to the willingness accept such comfort and endure its needs mindfully.
- 'No body' implies that material comfort is not enough.
- I have no eyes; I make the flash of lightning my eyes.
- 'Eyes' refer to spiritual insight through meditation.
- 'Flash of lightning' implies sudden awareness achieved through careful meditation on a koan.
- 'Eyes' refer to spiritual insight through meditation.
- I have no ears; I make sensibility my ears.
- 'Ears' refers to hearing with the heart.
- 'Sensibility' implies that by such deep hearing, the mindful person develops common sense.
- 'Ears' refers to hearing with the heart.
- I have no limbs; I make promptness my limbs.
- 'Limbs' implies nimbleness of mind.
- 'Promptness' refers to the quick wit of which a mind is capable.
- 'Limbs' implies nimbleness of mind.
- I have no strategy; I make “unshadowed by thought” my strategy.
- 'Strategy' refers to a course of action based on a plan to achieve a specific goal.
- "Unshadowed by thought" implies that whoever takes such a course avoid second-guessing the outcome, lest it spoil the plan.
- 'Strategy' refers to a course of action based on a plan to achieve a specific goal.
- I have no designs; I make “seizing opportunity by the forelock” my design.
- 'Designs' implies seeking a specific outcome.
- “Seizing opportunity by the forelock” give you the means to achieve that outcome
- 'Designs' implies seeking a specific outcome.
- I have no miracles; I make right action my miracle.
- 'Miracles' refers to a positive outcome.
- 'Right action' achieves such an outcome with benefit to all who witness such a miracle.
- 'Miracles' refers to a positive outcome.
- I have no principles; I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles.
- 'Principles' implies having a strong moral code.
- 'Adaptability to all circumstances' implies willingness to adapt to changing circumstances with grace and charm.
- 'Principles' implies having a strong moral code.
- I have no tactics; I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.
- 'Tactics' is self explanatory.
- 'Emptiness and fullness' suggests the tactics have to do with awareness through meditation. Emptiness implies the stillness of bliss; fullness, the insight achieved.
- 'Tactics' is self explanatory.
- I have no talents; I make ready wit my talent.
- This is straighforward.
- I have no friends; I make my mind my friend.
- With friends around, how can make my mind my friend? Only in taking time out to meditate can I truly know my mind.
- I have no enemy; I make carelessness my enemy.
- This too is straighforward. Careful watch your mind and see!
- I have no armor; I make benevolence and righteousness my armor.
- I have no castle; I make immovable mind my castle.
- I have no sword; I make absence of self my sword.
These are guidelines, and thus are metaphor for mindful living.
20110215
Religion through Asian Eyes
My understanding is that hell is a temporary abode, a Purgatory. It's not a place of "burning in Hell for eternity", despite the notion of the "fire and brimstone" version of Hell.
There is nothing in the Bible to confirm such an event, save by misinterpretation of "fire and brimstone".
Yet brimstone is a euphemism for "cleansing", as is the fire symbology. Everything in the Bible points more to "sins" being "burned away", leaving the soul purified.
Though, Revelations appears to have been written to prevent believers from committing suicide were they to believe in reincarnation. The early church councils ruled against incorporating reincarnation into their doctrine because it was likely not to get believers to stick around long enough to amass property that would be bequeathed to the Church on death.
Even today, in rare situations, unscrupulous religious leaders might pressure new converts to confess their sins so that later, subtle emotional blackmail could be used to keep them in the fold and be willing to pay tithe. Most converts are well aware that they are under no obligation to confess their sins openly, yet may do so before a trusted church leader in order to facilitate spiritual healing.
Why? Because man is a social animal, the risk of "excommunication" motivates most converts to do whatever is necessary to become a part of the congregation. By confessing their sins, converts resolve to "sin no more" and thus be repentant. In doing so, they are healed spiritually and are welcome into the congregation.
In contrast, I like the Chinese way of worship, where a believer has a rich spiritual life by not only paying his respects as a Buddhist for the afterlife, as a Taoist for health, and as a Confucian for family.
When you closely examine Falun Gong, it looks like a smorgasbord of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and qigong. Indeed, you could practice the qigong but not join the protests, and they put no pressure on you with that regard.
However, within the Japanese sensibility about spirituality, there is a generalist flavour to it where a spiritually minded person can be Buddhist and Shintoist, yet have a Christian wedding, and even participate in pagan rituals known as matsuri.
There is nothing in the Bible to confirm such an event, save by misinterpretation of "fire and brimstone".
Yet brimstone is a euphemism for "cleansing", as is the fire symbology. Everything in the Bible points more to "sins" being "burned away", leaving the soul purified.
Though, Revelations appears to have been written to prevent believers from committing suicide were they to believe in reincarnation. The early church councils ruled against incorporating reincarnation into their doctrine because it was likely not to get believers to stick around long enough to amass property that would be bequeathed to the Church on death.
Even today, in rare situations, unscrupulous religious leaders might pressure new converts to confess their sins so that later, subtle emotional blackmail could be used to keep them in the fold and be willing to pay tithe. Most converts are well aware that they are under no obligation to confess their sins openly, yet may do so before a trusted church leader in order to facilitate spiritual healing.
Why? Because man is a social animal, the risk of "excommunication" motivates most converts to do whatever is necessary to become a part of the congregation. By confessing their sins, converts resolve to "sin no more" and thus be repentant. In doing so, they are healed spiritually and are welcome into the congregation.
In contrast, I like the Chinese way of worship, where a believer has a rich spiritual life by not only paying his respects as a Buddhist for the afterlife, as a Taoist for health, and as a Confucian for family.
When you closely examine Falun Gong, it looks like a smorgasbord of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and qigong. Indeed, you could practice the qigong but not join the protests, and they put no pressure on you with that regard.
However, within the Japanese sensibility about spirituality, there is a generalist flavour to it where a spiritually minded person can be Buddhist and Shintoist, yet have a Christian wedding, and even participate in pagan rituals known as matsuri.
20110214
Why are the Pakistani Scammers Calling Me?
On Feb 12th and 14th , I received a call from Pakistan. So I googled the numbers and also "Pakistan call", and discovered that it's a scam operating out of Pakistan.
FYI "92" is Pakistan area code.
Luckily I know no Pakistani or Urdu.
I figured something was up when the last time they called, they called at 7AM!
My guess is, the previous owner of my phone number was South Asian.
Followup: on Feb. 14 I received another wrong number at 10:07 PM. Dunno how my phone number has gotten onto someone else's mail list.
FYI "92" is Pakistan area code.
Luckily I know no Pakistani or Urdu.
I figured something was up when the last time they called, they called at 7AM!
My guess is, the previous owner of my phone number was South Asian.
Followup: on Feb. 14 I received another wrong number at 10:07 PM. Dunno how my phone number has gotten onto someone else's mail list.
20110208
Smartphones and Security Risks
Since javascript is in most web browsers on smartphones, the crufty cracker working for "data crime gangs" would probably compile a java archive executable to enslave the unsophisticated user's smartphone. That user will usually complain that the Internet is slow and sometimes his smartphone will crash. Later on, he might get spammed via SMS, MMS and email.
As for now, this is speculation, but it's based on the news gleaned from various tech websites.
Is my smartphone protected? Hella strongly, cos i have an antivirus suite guarding my phone as we speak.
Though the most annoying app would be one which has to do with gaming but becomes so addictive that most of your gameplaying is done with the phone plugged into the charger.
Currently I have the Sputnik test suite running in my web browser on the Liquid E. It's been about an hour since I started it, and I am guesstimating that the battery has gone from about 83% to about 50%, which is means a load which takes 3 hours to drain to below 5%.
In comparison, a full charge allows for 5 hours of mp3 playing time, about 4 hours of talk time, and about 3 hours of picture taking.
As for now, this is speculation, but it's based on the news gleaned from various tech websites.
Is my smartphone protected? Hella strongly, cos i have an antivirus suite guarding my phone as we speak.
Though the most annoying app would be one which has to do with gaming but becomes so addictive that most of your gameplaying is done with the phone plugged into the charger.
Currently I have the Sputnik test suite running in my web browser on the Liquid E. It's been about an hour since I started it, and I am guesstimating that the battery has gone from about 83% to about 50%, which is means a load which takes 3 hours to drain to below 5%.
In comparison, a full charge allows for 5 hours of mp3 playing time, about 4 hours of talk time, and about 3 hours of picture taking.
Free Wifi Hotspots in Metro Vancouver
http://www.theprovince.com/maps/wifi.html
In addition, I've found a new hotspot near 92a Ave and River Rd in Delta, which is within 500 metres of the Trinity Lutheran Church.
In addition, I've found a new hotspot near 92a Ave and River Rd in Delta, which is within 500 metres of the Trinity Lutheran Church.
Flexeril and Its Antidepressant Effects due to Antihistimine Properties
Monday morning I got up early enough to visit my doctor. Due to my insomnia, I had delayed a follow-up visit to him while tapering down to one tablet of mirtazapine when needed i.e. when I need a good sleep before morning.
After 5 minutes of talking to my doctor, he recommended stretching exercises - and I countered with "I practice tai chi". So he suggested cyclobenzaprine (flexeril), a tricyclic antidepressant with strong muscle relaxant properties i.e. another antihistamine chemically different from benadryl and mirtazapine.
This drug has a slow onset of 2-6 hours but lasts for up to 20 hours.
I know because after I got home around 11 PM, it took me about 2 hours before the first effects hit me, but had taken one tablet about 8PM. By 4AM I was off to bed.
It's unknown if dissolving the tablet in my mouth leads to this delayed effect. Then most of Tuesday was spent in bed. I'd only gotten up around 5 PM.
There may be a synergy with alcohol, because I slowly sipped a Colt 45 circa 9.45 PM at a friend's place and was out of there by 10:25 PM.
However, I felt no alcohol buzz; this may have been due to smoking a couple cigarettes for most of the time at my friend's place. In fact, I believe nicotine may have been the protective factor, as it kept me alert and less likely to yield to both alcohol's and flexeril's sedative properties.
When I awoke during the time before 5 PM, I just felt the need for more sleep. This, most likely, was a "hangover" effect due to the combination of alcohol with flexeril and trace amounts of mirtazapine.
Therefore, the mixing of liberal amounts of alcohol and/or other CNS depressants with Flexeril is not recommended. This includes mirtazapine and other psychiatric medication. Also included is gabapentin and other anti-epileptic drugs.
Updated: 20111116.1625
Flexeril is a muscle relaxant which has sedation as one of its side-effects. Currently, I use flexeril 10 mg daily.
Mirtazapine is being marketed as an antidepressant, however, it has antihistamine side effect of sedation in low doses. I used to take this medication at 2 doses of 15 mg daily. Over a year after I first wrote this article, I no longer take mirtazapine.
Gabapentin is used for nerve pain and is used mainly to control seizures in epilepsy in high doses. Currently I use it for its ability to reduce anxiety at 2 doses at 100 mg per capsule.
20121225.0841
Currently I use 10 mg of flexeril and 200 mg of gabapentin at bedtime. The gabapentin helps improve the ability to enter deep sleep and the flexeril helps me to fall to sleep.
After 5 minutes of talking to my doctor, he recommended stretching exercises - and I countered with "I practice tai chi". So he suggested cyclobenzaprine (flexeril), a tricyclic antidepressant with strong muscle relaxant properties i.e. another antihistamine chemically different from benadryl and mirtazapine.
This drug has a slow onset of 2-6 hours but lasts for up to 20 hours.
I know because after I got home around 11 PM, it took me about 2 hours before the first effects hit me, but had taken one tablet about 8PM. By 4AM I was off to bed.
It's unknown if dissolving the tablet in my mouth leads to this delayed effect. Then most of Tuesday was spent in bed. I'd only gotten up around 5 PM.
There may be a synergy with alcohol, because I slowly sipped a Colt 45 circa 9.45 PM at a friend's place and was out of there by 10:25 PM.
However, I felt no alcohol buzz; this may have been due to smoking a couple cigarettes for most of the time at my friend's place. In fact, I believe nicotine may have been the protective factor, as it kept me alert and less likely to yield to both alcohol's and flexeril's sedative properties.
When I awoke during the time before 5 PM, I just felt the need for more sleep. This, most likely, was a "hangover" effect due to the combination of alcohol with flexeril and trace amounts of mirtazapine.
Therefore, the mixing of liberal amounts of alcohol and/or other CNS depressants with Flexeril is not recommended. This includes mirtazapine and other psychiatric medication. Also included is gabapentin and other anti-epileptic drugs.
Updated: 20111116.1625
Flexeril is a muscle relaxant which has sedation as one of its side-effects. Currently, I use flexeril 10 mg daily.
Mirtazapine is being marketed as an antidepressant, however, it has antihistamine side effect of sedation in low doses. I used to take this medication at 2 doses of 15 mg daily. Over a year after I first wrote this article, I no longer take mirtazapine.
Gabapentin is used for nerve pain and is used mainly to control seizures in epilepsy in high doses. Currently I use it for its ability to reduce anxiety at 2 doses at 100 mg per capsule.
20121225.0841
Currently I use 10 mg of flexeril and 200 mg of gabapentin at bedtime. The gabapentin helps improve the ability to enter deep sleep and the flexeril helps me to fall to sleep.
Having Sinned (poem)
Having sinned once again,
the stress again has let me.
I no longer feel that ache
for gradual release
from shame and guilt,
finding everywhere peace.
For I have sinned,
and confess it, asking
God for courage to speak
so that He may heal me.
the stress again has let me.
I no longer feel that ache
for gradual release
from shame and guilt,
finding everywhere peace.
For I have sinned,
and confess it, asking
God for courage to speak
so that He may heal me.
Is Egypt Ripe for Democracy?
"Reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists show that 30 journalists and their support staff from both Egyptian and international news organisations have been detained, attacked or had their equipment confiscated in the past 48 hours.
In addition, there are reports that a number of civil society activists have been arrested following a raid on the Hisham Mubarak Centre for Human Rights, the, Egyptian Centre for Political and Social Rights and the Egyptian Centre for Housing Rights." - http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2011/2011_02_04_egypt
I doubt Egypt is ready for democracy, because the poor has been left out of the picture.
Approximately 25 percent of Egyptians are poor, with 14 million living in rural areas of Upper Egypt (south of Khartoum). They include tenant farmers and small-scale farmers, landless laborers, unemployed youth, and women. Few of them have visited Lower Egypt and Cairo.
If Egypt goes democratic, the fallacy that democracy permits corruption of youth and breakdown of society becomes more unreal and untrue.
Yet democracy does not make a nation strong; rather, it makes the voice of the people heard, providing a politically active outlet for activists willing to vote for democracy with their feet, marching for peace. Indeed, democracy may be a tool of the educated to share liberal ideology in an egalitarian manner but for the poor, it offers hope.
For the poor hope that one day, their children will prosper in a democratic Egypt.
Yet the military in Egypt seek to control this peaceful protest because of the irrational belief that such protests foment violence. In actual fact, the Egyptian military turn a blind eye to right-wing militias' help to "control" the democracy advocates in Cairo.
Why suppress democracy?
So that the average rural villager knows her place as servant to the rich. It also does her family no good to have her go to university, when she should be at home for the good of family and motherhood, despite the wretched conditions of birth.
Would Egypt's activists be willing to emancipate the rural poor? Who is to say?
I wonder how this change in Egypt will impact the rural poor trickling into the cities of Egypt in the name of democracy.
For the poor live in the reality of poverty, just barely getting by without any thought for politics, save for the threat of starvation and barely surviving in an unsafe world.
Update:
February 11, 2011: former President Mubarak reigns and leaves Cairo. Vice President Omar Suleiman announces on national TV that Mubarak has stepped down, and that the Egyptian military is temporarily in control. Jubilant crowds celebrate on Tahrir Square.
February 13: high level military command announces both constitution and parliament of Egypt is dissolved. Parliamentary election is to be held in September.
March 19: constitutional referendum is held. Democratic leaders delay election from September 2011 tp November 2011.
April 13: Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt (which is controlled by its military) orders Mubarak and his two sons detained.
August 3: Trial begins for Mubarak who is also investigated for Sadat's death.
October 9-10: Coptic Christian church is torn down in Aswan after Copts refuse to not display cross. In march from Shubra to Maspero, Egyptian army tries to escalate hostilities, first by broadcasting unfounded rumors Copts were attacking the military. Out of a crowd of 240 Copts,
November 28: Egypt holds its first parliamentary election since previous regime was in power. Turnout high and no reports of irregularities or violence. Members of some parties break ban on campaigning at polling places by handing out pamphlets and banners.
February 16, 2012: Coptic activist gets travel ban in Mespero incident. He calls it politicized.
June 2: Mubarak sentenced to life imprisonment.
July 8: Egypt's new president Mohamed Morsi call lawmakers back into session.
July 10: Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt negates decision by President Mohamed Morsi to call parliament back into session
August 2: Egypt’s Prime Minister Hisham Qandil announces 35 member cabinet comprising 28 newcomers including four from influential Muslim Brotherhood, six others and former military ruler Tantawi as the Defence Minister from previous Government
Freedom House rates Egypt as "Not Free". In their report, it turns out the military was controlling the show until the elections finished in early January 2012. There was regular harassment of NGOs whom the military targets accusing them of being controlled by foreign interests, despite the fact that most NGOs in Egypt are grassroots organizations.
Commentary:
Even though Mubarak had been sentenced to life imprisonment in June, today Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court still remains the pawn of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which had Mohamed Hussein Tantawi as Chairman and chief of state since February 11, 2011. He was only instated as Defense Minister three months ago only to retire on August 12.
Quite possibly Tantawi was a figurehead as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. He was ordered by President Mosri to retire but retained as advisor. It has been speculated that the military junta plans to step down in exchange for immunity.
Until that time, the fruits of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution are not yet ripe for democracy.
Updated 20121117.0432
Reference:
Wikipedia: Egypt: Revolution:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#Revolution
Wikipedia: 2011-2012 Egyptian Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%932012_Egyptian_revolution
Mespero demonstrations in Octo 9-10, 2011 show Egyptian military in charge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maspero_demonstrations
USA Today: Train hits school bus in al-Mandara, Manfaloot district, Assuit:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/17/egypt-train-hits-school-bus-22-children-killed/1710935/
Wikipedia: Mubarak:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mubarak
In addition, there are reports that a number of civil society activists have been arrested following a raid on the Hisham Mubarak Centre for Human Rights, the, Egyptian Centre for Political and Social Rights and the Egyptian Centre for Housing Rights." - http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2011/2011_02_04_egypt
I doubt Egypt is ready for democracy, because the poor has been left out of the picture.
Approximately 25 percent of Egyptians are poor, with 14 million living in rural areas of Upper Egypt (south of Khartoum). They include tenant farmers and small-scale farmers, landless laborers, unemployed youth, and women. Few of them have visited Lower Egypt and Cairo.
If Egypt goes democratic, the fallacy that democracy permits corruption of youth and breakdown of society becomes more unreal and untrue.
Yet democracy does not make a nation strong; rather, it makes the voice of the people heard, providing a politically active outlet for activists willing to vote for democracy with their feet, marching for peace. Indeed, democracy may be a tool of the educated to share liberal ideology in an egalitarian manner but for the poor, it offers hope.
For the poor hope that one day, their children will prosper in a democratic Egypt.
Yet the military in Egypt seek to control this peaceful protest because of the irrational belief that such protests foment violence. In actual fact, the Egyptian military turn a blind eye to right-wing militias' help to "control" the democracy advocates in Cairo.
Why suppress democracy?
So that the average rural villager knows her place as servant to the rich. It also does her family no good to have her go to university, when she should be at home for the good of family and motherhood, despite the wretched conditions of birth.
Would Egypt's activists be willing to emancipate the rural poor? Who is to say?
I wonder how this change in Egypt will impact the rural poor trickling into the cities of Egypt in the name of democracy.
For the poor live in the reality of poverty, just barely getting by without any thought for politics, save for the threat of starvation and barely surviving in an unsafe world.
Update:
February 11, 2011: former President Mubarak reigns and leaves Cairo. Vice President Omar Suleiman announces on national TV that Mubarak has stepped down, and that the Egyptian military is temporarily in control. Jubilant crowds celebrate on Tahrir Square.
February 13: high level military command announces both constitution and parliament of Egypt is dissolved. Parliamentary election is to be held in September.
March 19: constitutional referendum is held. Democratic leaders delay election from September 2011 tp November 2011.
April 13: Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt (which is controlled by its military) orders Mubarak and his two sons detained.
August 3: Trial begins for Mubarak who is also investigated for Sadat's death.
October 9-10: Coptic Christian church is torn down in Aswan after Copts refuse to not display cross. In march from Shubra to Maspero, Egyptian army tries to escalate hostilities, first by broadcasting unfounded rumors Copts were attacking the military. Out of a crowd of 240 Copts,
November 28: Egypt holds its first parliamentary election since previous regime was in power. Turnout high and no reports of irregularities or violence. Members of some parties break ban on campaigning at polling places by handing out pamphlets and banners.
February 16, 2012: Coptic activist gets travel ban in Mespero incident. He calls it politicized.
June 2: Mubarak sentenced to life imprisonment.
July 8: Egypt's new president Mohamed Morsi call lawmakers back into session.
July 10: Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt negates decision by President Mohamed Morsi to call parliament back into session
August 2: Egypt’s Prime Minister Hisham Qandil announces 35 member cabinet comprising 28 newcomers including four from influential Muslim Brotherhood, six others and former military ruler Tantawi as the Defence Minister from previous Government
Freedom House rates Egypt as "Not Free". In their report, it turns out the military was controlling the show until the elections finished in early January 2012. There was regular harassment of NGOs whom the military targets accusing them of being controlled by foreign interests, despite the fact that most NGOs in Egypt are grassroots organizations.
Commentary:
Even though Mubarak had been sentenced to life imprisonment in June, today Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court still remains the pawn of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which had Mohamed Hussein Tantawi as Chairman and chief of state since February 11, 2011. He was only instated as Defense Minister three months ago only to retire on August 12.
Quite possibly Tantawi was a figurehead as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. He was ordered by President Mosri to retire but retained as advisor. It has been speculated that the military junta plans to step down in exchange for immunity.
Until that time, the fruits of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution are not yet ripe for democracy.
Updated 20121117.0432
Reference:
Wikipedia: Egypt: Revolution:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#Revolution
Wikipedia: 2011-2012 Egyptian Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%932012_Egyptian_revolution
Mespero demonstrations in Octo 9-10, 2011 show Egyptian military in charge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maspero_demonstrations
USA Today: Train hits school bus in al-Mandara, Manfaloot district, Assuit:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/17/egypt-train-hits-school-bus-22-children-killed/1710935/
Wikipedia: Mubarak:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mubarak
20110207
AA Journal Entry: January 11-25, 2011 - Two weeks of Confession and Spiritual Healing
Tuesday, 11 January 2011, 10:20 AM
IMHO, at the root of all my issues is the social conditioning known as never say "No" to others in need.
Yet, to avoid saying "No", often I will stay at home.
Actually, after careful reflection, the reason why I stay home as a recluse has to do with a blatantly honest picture of myself as physically imperfect.
In contrast to this self-perception, I have concluded that a pure heart-mind implies a perfect soul, the concept of which was gifted to me at age 16.
So I had worked at perfecting my mind from an early age, despite the errors which crept up into my life due to shaming.
Age 1, I was hit in the head by my brother with a hoe. My crime was not yielding his fair share of the sandbox on my family's property.
Age 2 or 3, pressured into lighting a match by my brother, I nearly burned the barn down. Both my brother and I suffered for this.
Yet I was innocent then.
Because of those errors' effect, I acted out. Perhaps it was out of a sense of shame that my youth was a descent into madness.
If I defied my mother, then she punished me. I was constantly blamed for anything wrong that happened at home.
Then there were incidents outside of the home which eventually helped me to learn that my acting out would lead to harmful repercussions.
If it weren't for learning to read and write in public school, and for computers later in life, then I might have been in a sorry state.
Today I have learned the wisdom of non-action clearly. While thoughts may come and go, this body remains, another day older and deeply indebted to the mercy that God has shown me through His creation.
Even though each person is equally capable of great good or great evil, I view my currently life as balancing out the innocent evil done as a child.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011, 10:50 AM
Dear Lord, help me to see my life with the innocent eyes of a man redeemed by God's gift of salvation. I knew that You walked by my side as a child to help me realize today that my life before majority was innocent of guile.
Sunday, 16 January 2011, 2:49 PM
Since God has been with me since the day I was born, then my soul has been with me since then.
Soul is an abstract thing which I should take care not to reify unnecessarily, lest my understanding of it be muddied, rendering a fallacy of which I'll now explain.
The fallacy is that the soul is an object which is precious due to the process of reification, which means to make it a personal object which is more valuable than my life and the world around me.
Reification is also called hypostatization.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011, 4:43 PM
Life moves in mysterious ways, for which only God knows the reasons.
20110203
"Let Ye who are Free of Sin Cast the First Stone"
Being free of sin may imply that repentance means "to sin no more"; it does not mean you won't be unable to sin.
For it is human to err; and to forgive, divine.
Few people are thus loathe to act divinely yet are ignorant of their errors.
Indeed, it's not a sin until we admit the errors of our way and repent.
This is the natural rule to which we fail to adhere and thus admit freely to our sins.
In admitting to the world these sins, you are free of them i.e. free of their ability to silence you out of shame.
Thus, to be truly free of sin, let truth reign yet do not insist them to be true for all lest you lie to occult your own sins!
Then shall you be able to cast those stones without regret.
For each admission of sin is like a flake of snow which grows into a giant snowball to cast out.
This is why the Pharisees and Sadducees did not stone the woman saved after forgiving her sin of adultery: they were guilty of contributing to her fallen state.
Indeed, such scapegoats only presaged Jesus' betrayal and later crucifixion. He died to atone for the sins of His unrepentant rivals, too.
Thus too, anti-Semitism is an ugly sin of which the Catholic Church contributed to the Holocaust by co-opting with the Nazi regime to forgive Hitler merely for being a devout German Catholic.
Yet the irony is Germany was originally the nation in which Lutheran Protestantism arose to form an independant rival to Catholic authority called Lutheranism with their own bishops and "Pope".
Small wonder Nazi fascism allied with the German Catholic clergy, because few Protestant churches considered Nazism to be anything but a worldly cult of personality which is at the core of fascism, where fashion forms blind followers of a setting sun ideology.
In contrast, Jesus illumines the mind of the religious left and right without preference. For Christianity is not a cult of personality; it is liberation from hate, injustice and ignorance.
For Jesus is the Door, which is strait and narrow so that only the godly may become free of sin by confessing of their sins.
"Let ye who are free of sin cast the first stone."
For it is human to err; and to forgive, divine.
Few people are thus loathe to act divinely yet are ignorant of their errors.
Indeed, it's not a sin until we admit the errors of our way and repent.
This is the natural rule to which we fail to adhere and thus admit freely to our sins.
In admitting to the world these sins, you are free of them i.e. free of their ability to silence you out of shame.
Thus, to be truly free of sin, let truth reign yet do not insist them to be true for all lest you lie to occult your own sins!
Then shall you be able to cast those stones without regret.
For each admission of sin is like a flake of snow which grows into a giant snowball to cast out.
This is why the Pharisees and Sadducees did not stone the woman saved after forgiving her sin of adultery: they were guilty of contributing to her fallen state.
Indeed, such scapegoats only presaged Jesus' betrayal and later crucifixion. He died to atone for the sins of His unrepentant rivals, too.
Thus too, anti-Semitism is an ugly sin of which the Catholic Church contributed to the Holocaust by co-opting with the Nazi regime to forgive Hitler merely for being a devout German Catholic.
Yet the irony is Germany was originally the nation in which Lutheran Protestantism arose to form an independant rival to Catholic authority called Lutheranism with their own bishops and "Pope".
Small wonder Nazi fascism allied with the German Catholic clergy, because few Protestant churches considered Nazism to be anything but a worldly cult of personality which is at the core of fascism, where fashion forms blind followers of a setting sun ideology.
In contrast, Jesus illumines the mind of the religious left and right without preference. For Christianity is not a cult of personality; it is liberation from hate, injustice and ignorance.
For Jesus is the Door, which is strait and narrow so that only the godly may become free of sin by confessing of their sins.
"Let ye who are free of sin cast the first stone."
Revelations: How Doctrine and Dogma Occults the Truth of John
Doctrine and Dogma arising from misunderstanding of Revelation is that sinners burn forever in a hell of fire and brimstone; this is a lie arising from both Catholic and Protestant clergy, one of whose mission is to keep their respective flock within the fold of their respective churches.
Rather brimstone symbolizes cleansing, and the fire represents the refinement of the soul, cleansed of sin, which is redeemed when it returns to the Godhead. Indeed, this implies the goal of purity for which Revelations is the metaphor.
Yet few Christians are taught how to use Scripture, not to occult truth, but to reveal the truth relevant in their daily lives, due to the old-school doctrine schooling them into becoming "sheeple" fearful of doubting the word of a priest or other "man of God".
Much of what constituted modern thought in the Common Era was omitted from the Bible so as to prevent confusion over the early Church's admission that reincarnation is a one-time reward for remaining pure and free of sin.
For what are the born again but incarnations of their pure souls by the grace of God? This however is not guaranteed after baptism but after death, according to Revelations.
All of Revelations is thus metaphorical, and totally occluded of truth in the minds of the literally inclined. Why? Because the literal interpretation of Revelations has led to the doctrine of an eternity of hell as fire and brimstone when in the original Greek, it was accepted as a temporary abode from which the living made offerings to their priest to help ensure that the souls are released from Purgatory and ascend to Heaven, and given a prayer to snatch those souls from the depths of Hell.
How else do you explain the use of candles and memorial prayers for the dead both in the Church and in Protestant churches who adhere to the Catholic model? Such a cult of the dead is proven by the tabu regarding the dead amongst Christians.
Those who have brains, please use them.
Rather brimstone symbolizes cleansing, and the fire represents the refinement of the soul, cleansed of sin, which is redeemed when it returns to the Godhead. Indeed, this implies the goal of purity for which Revelations is the metaphor.
Yet few Christians are taught how to use Scripture, not to occult truth, but to reveal the truth relevant in their daily lives, due to the old-school doctrine schooling them into becoming "sheeple" fearful of doubting the word of a priest or other "man of God".
Much of what constituted modern thought in the Common Era was omitted from the Bible so as to prevent confusion over the early Church's admission that reincarnation is a one-time reward for remaining pure and free of sin.
For what are the born again but incarnations of their pure souls by the grace of God? This however is not guaranteed after baptism but after death, according to Revelations.
All of Revelations is thus metaphorical, and totally occluded of truth in the minds of the literally inclined. Why? Because the literal interpretation of Revelations has led to the doctrine of an eternity of hell as fire and brimstone when in the original Greek, it was accepted as a temporary abode from which the living made offerings to their priest to help ensure that the souls are released from Purgatory and ascend to Heaven, and given a prayer to snatch those souls from the depths of Hell.
How else do you explain the use of candles and memorial prayers for the dead both in the Church and in Protestant churches who adhere to the Catholic model? Such a cult of the dead is proven by the tabu regarding the dead amongst Christians.
Those who have brains, please use them.
Preach to the Sinner, Post-modern Prophets!
When basing your prophecies on your interpretation of the Bible, it is recommended that you read commentaries from different sources, so as to get a well-rounded view of what God means.
If you choose to interpret the Bible on your own, then you suffer the fate of modern-day prophets today.
Being a prophet in post-modern times implies that you will not be heard by non-believers.
Rather, your audience will be those who have the ears and mind to scrutinize what they have heard, using their well-exercised doubt to glean illumination from what post-modern prophets say in these latter days.
In short, the prudent of today's prophets say to the world:
Dear Lord Jesus, God
have mercy on me, a sinner.
Amen.
If you choose to interpret the Bible on your own, then you suffer the fate of modern-day prophets today.
Being a prophet in post-modern times implies that you will not be heard by non-believers.
Rather, your audience will be those who have the ears and mind to scrutinize what they have heard, using their well-exercised doubt to glean illumination from what post-modern prophets say in these latter days.
In short, the prudent of today's prophets say to the world:
Dear Lord Jesus, God
have mercy on me, a sinner.
Amen.
The Family that Sticks Together is Matriarchal
Overall, when the husband lets the wife rule the roost, that marriage lasts longer than where the family is actually an autocratic patriarchy where the father rules every aspect of his family's lives without flexibility.
Yet this depends on the State: if it is democratic, then it does not care who rules the family as long as it does not violate first social rules and norms specific to it and second UN conventions and the laws enacted to comply with international law.
Locally, within a democratic nation, if a family is ruled by rigid adherence to a patriarchal groupthink and variance to the State's laws are noticed through runs with the police and social workers, then the State reserves the right to remove children from potential or on-going abuse. Separation and divorce may then be used as remedies to an untenable situation.
The father may even be labelled as a wife-beater or as an aggressor in a domestic abuse legal case. Or worse, the State may use divorce as a tool to punish the autocratic father, including child support and alimony judgments.
In contrast, when the wife rules the roost, while she is not less likely to become autocratic, however, the State is less likely to label her an instigator of domestic abuse and few people will consider her to be a husband-beater; the police will even ridicule the husband for exposing it.
Despite this, family cohesiveness is stronger in one which is run in a matriarchal manner due to the stronger bonds maintained between family members.
This may be because in an autocracy, threat of force is the main tool used to maintain social cohesiveness, which actually may result in a weaker bond between family members. In a matriarchal family, there are less threats of force made to maintain cohesiveness; rather, a benign form of subversive psychology is enough to strengthen social cohesiveness within that family.
Thus, the family that sticks together longest is matriarchal at its roots. While this is an idealistic hypothesis, research of families indicates that it may be the rule more often than Western society cares to admit.
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