Dare You to Move

M(If you're asking what this is just call it an interactive video, music, and word composition, but in simpler words - images; music; and interrelated thoughts and ideals.) ;-) GC

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Dare you to move – Switchfoot
Click on the following for music video - .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOTcr9wKC-o&ob=av2e

I dare you to move I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor

. . . He got up, took his mat and walked*

Mark 2
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Jesus Heals a Paralytic
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1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
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6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
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8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked* out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
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(Source for Mark 2 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=48&chapter=2&version=31&context=chapter )
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Black Eyed Peas -Where is the love?
Click on the following for music video -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJV9EMkv0u4
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Father, Father, Father help us Send us some guidance from above'Cause people got me, got me questionin' Where is the love?
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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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Love never fails.*
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1 Corinthians 13
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Love
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1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
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4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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8Love never fails.* But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
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13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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(Source for 1 Corinthians 13 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013&version=31 ).
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Bad Religion – Sorrow
Click on the following for music video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7YazwP8GtY

. . . if every living soul could be upright and strong?
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“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
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Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

I Dare You to Get Involved. Register to Vote; Volunteer; Stay Informed; Inform Others; Love and Care for those People Near and Dear to You. Be Human and Stay Human. Defy Fear, Embrace Bravery, and Have Courage. ;-) GC

TODAY, WE ARE ALL HOKIES

TODAY, WE ARE ALL HOKIES!!!

Nikki Giovanni's comments at the Virginia Tech Convocation

Click on the following for video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zrJhtH-SHY&mode=related&search=

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WE ARE VIRGINA TECH!!!

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Our Sorrow goes out to the Hokie Nation. Comfort, Peace, and Courage. ;-( GC

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Why I would vote for McCain in 2008 - Why I don't always Vote Democrat - Should I vote Hillary? (PS and that's not Duff)

Thanks Linda. I'll check it out. On The Issues - Every Political Leader on Every Issue - http://www.issues2000.org/default.htm during the 2008 Presidential Race.

But, I base my Presidential vote on leadership qualities and experience verus Political Party labels and the issues. That is why I like John McCain. McCain has character and would be an excellent candidate. But, most importantly a Great Leader!!! Which this country needs in these difficult times.

In this 2008 race, the Republicans need to break their typical Conservative agenda. In order for the Republicans to get a fighting chance to win, the Republicans must moderate their stance and try to gander minority, women's votes, and special interest groups (environmentalist, elderly, former immigrants, voters pro and con on immigration, voters pro and con on abortion, etc.) Iraq will be a Major issue, but I believe voters will vote for the candidate most likely to meet their needs.

McCain’s ex-POW and war hero past shouldn’t bother or lose most voters support. The fact that McCain is a Republican “Maverick” (a Moderate Republican like Arnold) should help McCain to win some Democrat's votes. The Democrats don’t necessarily have the 2008 Presidential Election. This 2008 Presidential Election may appear like an Election the Democrats should win easily or an Election that is the Democrats to “lose”.

Remember in 2000 Gore had the popular vote. The Florida wobbling didn’t lose the Election for Gore. Gore didn’t even win his home state of Tennessee. I believe Tennessee’s Electoral votes would have given Gore the Presidency even if Bush had won Florida out right. (Need to check this out but Heather or someone should correct me.)

The Presidential Chess game is a foot. The pawns will fall. We must wait and see what King or Queen will vie against each other in November 2008. I hope a strong Third Party candidate doesn’t emerge. Ross Perot robbed enough votes to help the other Clinton win the 1992 election.
Again, I don’t always vote Democrat, I wasted my vote in 1992 on Perot. In 1976, I didn’t vote for the Democrat Carter verus the Republican Ford, but voted for Carter verus Reagan. In 1976, I didn’t believe the Democrat Carter had Presedential qualities and voted for the Republican Ford. “I’m not voting for a Peanut Farmer!!!”, I believe I told people in 1976. Ford was an ex-Congressman (ex-House Minority Whip), ex-Vice President, and President. And in the 1984, I voted for the Republican George H W Bush verus the Democrat Michael Dukakis. Michael Dukakis was clearly a bad canidate and had little Presedential qualities.

Love GC ;-)

Chicago

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Chicago Skyline

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(Source for Chicago Skyline picture - JOHNNYROADTRIP.COM - http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/cities/chicago/images/skyline1.jpg )

CHICAGO

.....HOG Butcher for the World,

.....Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,

.....Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;

.....Stormy, husky, brawling,

.....City of the Big Shoulders:

They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I

.....have seen your painted women under the gas lamps

.....luring the farm boys.

And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it

.....is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to

.....kill again.

And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the

.....faces of women and children I have seen the marks

.....of wanton hunger.

And having answered so I turn once more to those who

.....sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer

.....and say to them:

Come and show me another city with lifted head singing

.....so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning.

Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on

.....job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the

.....little soft cities;

Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning

.....as a savage pitted against the wilderness,

.....Bareheaded,

.....Shoveling,

.....Wrecking,

.....Planning,

.....Building, breaking, rebuilding,

Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with

.....white teeth,

Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young

.....man laughs,

Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has

.....never lost a battle,

Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse.

.....and under his ribs the heart of the people,

...............Laughing!

Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of

.....Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog

.....Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with

.....Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.

Carl Sandburg

(Source - Carl Sandburg - Chicago Poems - http://carl-sandburg.com/chicago.htm )

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PS There were no poems about Indianapolis, IN.

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Congratulations COLTS!!! SUPER BOWL CHAMPS

WORST PRESIDENT EVER!!!

Dear Jerry,

Yesterday, as I was taking Janess and Julie (her cousin) to school. Janess piped up and said, "So, Harding was the worst President then?" I said I think Nixon was and Julie said I think Bush is the worst. I revised my answer to say Bush too.

Anyway they are really studying the Presidents. You would be so proud of their effort. But, I never did study them. Why would she think Harding is so bad??? I didn't have an answer for her.

Stymied in Riverside

(Source for Warren G. Harding picture -http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=199

Linda - Here’s what I gleamed about Harding from the Web:


Warren Harding, U.S. President
Born: 2 November 1865
Birthplace: Corsica, Ohio
Died: 2 August 1923 (heart attack)
Best Known As: President of the U.S. 1921-23

One can almost feel sorry for Harding, who consistently gets ranked as one of the worst presidents of all time. A former newspaperman and senator from Ohio, Harding was ill-suited to the presidency but was chosen as a compromise candidate on the 10th ballot of the 1920 Republican convention. He was inaugurated in 1921 and took over the White House from two-term Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Harding's administration is chiefly remembered for the Teapot Dome scandal, a messy tale of bribery, fraud, and federal oil reserves. . .

(Source - Answers.com - http://www.answers.com/topic/warren-harding )

Harding ran on a promise to "Return to Normalcy", a term he coined to reflect three trends of his time: a renewed isolationism in reaction to World War I, a resurgence of nativism, and a turning away from the government activism of the reform era.

In June 1923, Harding set out on a cross-country "Voyage of Understanding", planning to meet ordinary people and explain his policies. During this trip, he became the first president to visit Alaska. Rumors of corruption in his administration were beginning to circulate in Washington by this time, and Harding was profoundly shocked by a long message he received while in Alaska, apparently detailing illegal activities previously unknown to him. At the end of July, while traveling south from Alaska through British Columbia, he developed what was thought to be a severe case of food poisoning. Arriving at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, he developed pneumonia. Harding died of either a heart attack or a stroke at 7:35 p.m. on 2 August 1923, at the age of 57. The formal announcement, printed in the New York Times of August 2, 1923, stated that "A stroke of apoplexy was the cause of death." He had been ill exactly one week.

(Source - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_G_Harding )

His Person: A well-built six-footer, Harding had the face and bearing of a matinee idol. His white hair and blue eyes complemented his smooth, dark complexion. With his massive black eyebrows, firm, full mouth, and finely chiseled Roman nose, it was said that Harding was the only senator who could wear a toga and not look ridiculous. He dressed with dignity and great care and loved to use his clarion voice for pompous political oratory, which he himself called "bloviating."

One of the most persistent rumors about Harding alleged that he was actually part Negro. For more than a generation, Ohio neighbors had looked down on the Hardings because of suspicions of mixed ancestry, and at the time of Warren's marriage, his furious father-in-law publicly called him "a nigger." In 1920 several observers pointed to Harding's swarthy complexion as evidence that his blood was "tainted," and a racist professor at a small college in Ohio published a celebrated pamphlet proving the senator's "African" ancestry and asserting that his candidacy was part of a Negro plot to take over the country. When asked about the rumors by a friendly reporter, Harding replied, "How do I know, Jim? One of my ancestors may have jumped the fence." Historians have been unable to add much to Harding's uncertain reply.

(Source - Trivia-Library.com - http://www.trivia-library.com/b/u-s-president-warren-g-harding-early-life-and-physical-description.htm )

(Source for stamp picture - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women )

What I recall from my high school American History class:

1. That the 1920 Presidential Election was the first national election that allowed American women the right to vote. (Didn't really remember this fact)

2. And that some people feared that Harding would gander the women’s vote because of Harding’s “Matinee Idol Good Looks”.

(This is Warren Harding not Warren Beatty we’re talking about. Right!!!)

(Source for Warren Beatty picture - vh1movies -http://www.vh1.com/movies/person/71376/personmain.jhtml )


Gee -What will people say about Hillary!*

(Source for Hillary picture - BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON (ANOTHER TAXICAB CONFESSION - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655366/posts )

*Hillary is Hawt!

PS - More about Hillary later. ;-) GC

Madame President

(Hillary - Pretty in Pink) Well unless you live in a cave, you've probably heard that our dear Hillary is running for President in 2008. I asked Sean if Hillary gets the Democrat's nomination, who in the World could the Republicans field against her? (I doubt Condi will run.)

Some will say that the bigger question will be - Is the Nation ready for the first Woman President of the United States? But, some of us history buffs will say - Is the Nation ready for the first Official Woman President of the United States?

"Edith Bolling Galt Wilson (October 15, 1872 – December 28, 1961), second wife of Woodrow Wilson, was First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921. She has been labeled "the Secret President" and "the first woman to run the government" for the role she played when her husband suffered prolonged and disabling illness."

(Source - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Bolling_Wilson )

History offers several examples of strong Woman leaders - Elizabeth I (England), Catherine the Great (Russia), Golda Meir* (1969 - 1974), Margaret Thatcher (1979 - 1990)** and for us Filipino's - Corazon Aquino*** (1986 to 1992. Who was Asia's first female President).

(link on Golda Meir - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golda_Meir)*
(link on Margaret Thatcher - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher)**
(link on Corazon Aquino - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquino%2C_Corazon)***


Hillary - MADAME President? Why not? Hey, Carter got elected after Watergate and Nixon's resignation. I really don't see - Why Hillary couldn't run for and win the Presidency!!!

Both Carter and the current Pres. Bush were mere state Governors with little national and even less foreign political background. (I casted my vote for Ford against Carter (1976) and later wasted my vote for Perot against Bush (1992). That would be twice that I didn't vote for a Democrat for President. For me the leadership qualities of the person running for the Presidency supersedes Party politics.

I'd like to vote for Sen. John R. Edwards or even Sen John McCain. But, I'll just need to wait and see.

May the best Man or Woman win in 2008!!!

PS - Bill could be called "First Bubba" instead of "First Man" ;-) GC

(lower image revised 6-07)

How did this young couple evolve from college sweethearts to former President and Senator?

Keep Fighting the Good Fight

I've been looking for this quote and I wanted to share it with you. Keep fighting the Good Fight.

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."

Eleanor Roosevelt

PS Here's another quote to reflect upon.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7 (New International Version)

PS Stuck for now, but still fighting the Good Fight. GC

California has 648 condemned inmates
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Historic Death Row reprieve
ILLINOIS: Gov. Ryan spares 167, ignites national debate
- Reynolds Holding, Chronicle Staff WriterSunday, January 12, 2003
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In the largest purge of death row in U.S. history, Illinois Gov. George Ryan on Saturday spared the lives of 167 men and women condemned to execution - - the most damning blow to capital punishment since the Supreme Court struck down states' former death penalty laws 30 years ago.
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The bold move, involving cases in which more than 250 people were murdered, roiled anew the debate over capital punishment, galvanizing opponents of executions as well as death penalty supporters who predicted a backlash in favor of their views.
But Ryan, whose term ends Monday under a shadow of corruption charges, stressed in a letter to the families of murder victims that he could not "take the risk that we may execute an innocent person."
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"Our capital system," he said in a speech Saturday, "is haunted by the demon of error, error in determining guilt and error in determining who among the guilty deserves to die. What effect was race having?
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What effect was poverty having?
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"Because of all these reasons, today I am commuting the sentences of all Death Row inmates."
In California, whose 612 capital inmates constitute the nation's largest Death Row, the news prompted anger, optimism and caution among lawyers and public officials on both sides of the death penalty issue.
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All agreed there would be little immediate impact in the state, where Gov. Gray Davis has maintained staunch support for capital punishment. But California's chief death penalty prosecutor predicted difficult times ahead for opponents of executions.
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Source:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/01/12/MN189421.DTL
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Clemency is rarely dispensed to death row inmates these days
By DAVID KRAVETS, AP Legal Affairs Writer
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
(12-07) 00:08 PST SACRAMENTO, (AP) --
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Politics and history will not be on Stanley Tookie Williams' side Thursday when the founder of the murderous Crips gang asks Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to spare his life for killing four people during two robberies 26 years ago.
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Except for Illinois Gov. George Ryan's 2003 decision to clear out death row in his final hours in office, clemency is a gubernatorial option rarely exercised in today's tough-on-crime climate.
"There are three reasons why clemency is hardly given now," said Michael Radelet, a University of Colorado sociology professor. "One is politics. Two is politics and three is politics."
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The last California governor to grant clemency was Ronald Reagan in 1967, but the case was far different from Williams' situation and times have changed dramatically since then.
The life-and-death power bestowed on the kings of England and transferred to governors and presidents of the United States has become a little-used option in the three decades since states resumed executions.
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Before 1976, the year the U.S. Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume after a brief hiatus, clemency was routinely granted. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 204 inmates nationwide were spared between 1960 and 1970.
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Excluding the 167 Illinois inmates whose death sentences were commuted in 2003, only 63 lives have been spared since 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
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Most of those acts of mercy were the result of defendants' mental infirmities, doubts about their guilt, or efforts to build confidence in the death penalty system. Last week Virginia's governor commuted a death sentence because a pair of bloody scissors was improperly destroyed after the trial, depriving the defense of the opportunity to conduct new DNA tests.

Source:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/12/06/state/n180143S11.DTL
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1. Is the death penalty right for some murders? (Mass murderers, terrorists, murderers of children, etc.) Yes or No
2. Is Life in Prison without the possibility of parole an option? Yes or No
3. How do you feel about the Death Penalty?
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Not a typical December blog, but at least current. Love and Peace. Prayers and Hope for our Troops at War. Yes, I am Proud to be an American. God Bless. ;-) GC

A Time to Reflect

The current conflict in Iraq gives us a chance to re-examine history. The Nazis, Fascist Italians, and Imperialistic Japanese are obvious threats. Was Iraq a threat to World Peace? Only time will provide the answer that question.

Until they return safely. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS in Iraq and else where!!!!!

Following is a link to info on the Surrender of the Japanese on the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945 –

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/ac00001/ac02719c.htm

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” *

Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

*Click the following for a different view on this quote

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/20/2004/584

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PS Donate to Hurricane relief. ;-) GC

Sixty Years Ago Today - WWII

“World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in modern history, estimated to have cost more than all previous wars in history combined. The conflict began on September 1, 1939 (by most Western accounts) and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the world's countries. Virtually all countries that participated in World War I were involved in World War II.”

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II)

World War II would begin with the Hitler’s invasion of Poland. Six years and one day later, the Japanese would sign the treaty to end World War II on the decks of the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945.

For this family, we can boast two Veterans of that great conflict. My father Gene D. Costales and my father-in-law Lorrin E. Smith. To these and other WWII Vets our heartfelt thanks and endless graditude. ;-) GC

PS God Bless America. Katrina is gone, I'll be donating blood when I get the chance. ;-) GC

And after the strife of war begins the strife of peace. - Carl Sandberg

More Black History: The Brownsville Raid

Black Soldiers, Racists, a Dead White Texan, and Teddy Roosevelt

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(about the "Brownsville Mutiny" in 1906)

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http://www.cs.wcu.edu/~kris/index.cgi?page=history - this maybe a dead link. So, cut and paste the link. I promise you'll be enlightened.

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This was an excellent essay - well written, concise, and well researched. I would like to reply to the author and congratulate her on such an excellent job. There is also an account of the Brownsville Raid in Theodore Rex - a biography about Teddy Roosevelt - that I would recommend.
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Black history is more than Martin Luther King Jr. ;-) GC

February 21, 1965 - Malcom X Remembered

I need to do something for Black History Month. Here's a link for Malcolm X.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcom_X
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Title: Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X
Author: Rodney P. Collins with A. Peter Bailey
Published: New York: Dafina; London: Turnaround, 2002
Notes: Originally published: Secaucus, N.J.: Carol, 1998
ISBN: 0758201176

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This is the book I've read about Malcolm X and I also recommend the movie by Spike Lee, Malcolm X (1992). Both are excellent. Rodney P. Collins is Malcolm's nephew. Collins offers a different view of Malcolm - the family man and his Uncle. Collins is biased and has a belief in a conspiracy by either or both the CIA and/or FBI in the assassination of his Uncle. But, then again Collins maybe partially right about American government involvement or lack of involvement as Collins claims. There is also a reprint edition of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, ISBN: 0345350685 with a new introduction by one of his daughter. The Autobiography was really ghost written by Alex Haley, who would later pen the epic ROOTS. ;-) GC
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PS I planned to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X this Summer and actually read the introductions. But, I opted for lighter and fun reading. I did do some serious reading last Summer and needed a break from serious books. ;-) GC

The Battle of the Bulge WWII

Now a days the phrase "Battle of the Bulge" would be a reference to holiday weight gain. But, 60 years ago it was a term given to the last major Nazi offensive of WWII. I'd read that it was "The greatest moment of the American Infantryman!" The Battle started on December 16, 1944 and end January 15, 1945. Click on the following for more information.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II/Battle_of_the_Bulge

We just got our tree up.
Posted by Hello

It's December Already!

Well, I can't believe another year is almost done. Today is Pearl Habor Day, “. . . A Date Which Will Live in Infamy...” , December 7th 1941.
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With Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting another war against terror, let's pray for their safety and the families waiting for their safe return. This time of year is certainly a time of reflection but also a time for the renewal of hope. I hope you have a Merry December. More later. GC

Thanksgiving Thoughts

With all the violence in the World [especially on NBA basketball courts ;-)], it may cause some people to ask, “What is there to be thankful for?”
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My daughter recently said, “Dad, you should read about something besides War.” I didn’t reply, but should have said, “I read history to gain an understanding of what brought us here. And to have a feel on what is to come.” These times are not the worst period to live in. Having read some history, one can see that we live in a great period of history. Despite our problems the Present and the Future is still a time of great expectations and promise.
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This is not your typical Thanksgiving message. And, I am thankful for the Family, Friends, etc. But, I know that there are problems to be solved, issues to be raised, a Future to be lived in, and History to be written. I am not now content to sit idly by. I have a voice and I plan to use it. And this blog is hopefully a place where my voice and other voices can sound, cheer, moan, and shape understanding. This seems to becoming my catchphrase -
. Change the Future, Get Involved.
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I remember being in a college classroom and this is the lyric that the professor shared with us - “We are peaceful gentle people. Fighting fighting for our lives …”. In many ways this lyric applies to all of us. The lyric was from a nuclear protest song. But, if we expect anything to change, then one must take a stand and fight for it.
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I am thankful to live in a great nation, where I can post my blog and know my voice will not be silenced. (I like to spice up my writing we a few quotes.) GC
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"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it.
I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against.
I'm a human being first and foremost,

and as such I am for whomever and whatever

benefits humanity as a whole."
Malcolm X

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"If you want peace, work for justice."
Pope Paul VI

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Now, a bit of history for a little perspective, read about “… a viral infectious disease, that killed some 25 million to 40 million people (possibly significantly more) world-wide. . . .”
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PS only 9 million people died in WWI. Click on the link below for the whole article.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Flu

Under Construction - Check back later

There some bugs to work out. But, check back. We can change the future. Just get involved.

America Get Involved

In the future, I'll be using italics to indicate quotes or excerpts from other sources. Also, quotation marks will be shown. I'll try to keep it informative, relevant, and fun. I welcome suggestions for future topics and will take any advice needed to improve this blog. Thanks.

PS I'll be signing my work GC or the editor.

The First Genocide of the 20th Century - Armenia

"The term Armenian Genocide (also known as the Armenian Holocaust or Armenian Massacre) refers to the deportation and murder of Armenians by the Young Turks government in 1915-1916.
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The Armenian Genocide is denied by Turkey, although the massacre of large numbers is widely, freely admitted and publically regretted."
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(Go to the link below for the balance of the article.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide
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For more on World War One - I recommend any juvenile book on World War One, just go to the children's section and see what's available. Any current adult book on World War One should have a paragraph, page or section on the Armenians. This is what I'm reading now:

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The Great WarAnd the Shaping of the 20th Century,
by Jay Winters and Blaine Baggett,
Penguin Books, NY, NY, etc.,1996,

ISBN 0-670-87119-2

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It was also a PBS TV series and videos can be checked out at most public libraries nowadays. I wouldn't let small children watch it but older children could be interested. Don't let the size of the book deter you, its quick reading and informative and there's also lots of pictures.

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Love, the editor ;-)