Are You REALLY Religious?

Just a few comments about people who are prone to citing religious verses, or as I prefer to say, "Go around pall-parroting religious verses, like religious robots." Learning religious sayings isn't a bad thing, as long as you understand the true meaning of the sayings, and then, that you apply those meanings to YOUR life. Knowing numerous religious sayings doesn't make you religious. Likewise, having human flaws doesn't necessarily make you a bad person, either, depending upon the kind of flaws we're talking about. I suppose none of us can truly live up to what we should be, or would like to be, but to just cite religious sayings, and then to act "holier than thou," doesn't cut it. What have you DONE for the World in your lifetime? Are you looking out only for yourself?

The world changes and so do beliefs about religion. If you can't accept changes in religion, you may perhaps be like those who we claim to abhor so much in the Taliban. After all, the Taliban and their ilk say pretty much, "If this was how things were a couple of thousand years ago, then we can't change those things; they have to stay the same." Maybe that's why bin Laden and other supporters of the Taliban live in caves? Mankind once lived in caves, therefore....

If we in these times choose to "stay the course" of religious verses past, just think how YOUR life would be affected by turning the clock back. For example, if you're a woman, look out! No feminism tolerated by religious beliefs of old. In fact, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog, because you're not supposed to be involved in such things. A male acquaintance of mine, a religious robot is he, told me, "My wife is supposed to obey me. It says so in the Bible."

Just remember, when you go around spouting religious verses of times long since past, be careful, because there's probably at least one old verse that covers YOU!.

Some Critter Info

Here's a link to some interesting info about various animals/insects:

http://spotlight.encarta.msn.com/Features/encnet_Features_Lists_default_article_AnimalCheats.html?GT1=27004

Impact Of Foreclosures

I thought I'd post this link to an article about how foreclosures are effecting neighborhoods and whole communities.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25217565/

A Few Things On Oil And Speculators

A number of weeks ago, the president visited Saudi Arabia. Upon his departure for the Saudi Kingdom, he told us that he was going to ask the Saudis to increase oil production because of the high oil prices. Essentially, the Saudis turned him down in a very public way. The interesting thing is, after more than seven years in office, this administration and this president haven't learned that these things aren't handled in public until the deal has already been done behind the scenes. The rebuff to Bush by the Saudis didn't hurt him the American public opinion polls, but that seems to be the likely result that he can't go much lower, as his poll numbers are and have been "cold enough" to make ice cubes; that is, they are well below the freezing temperature of 32. I would have to believe that it has hurt him and American foreign policy, as foreign governments take note of these kinds of things.

The Saudis have insisted that the supply of oil on the market is adequate and that speculators have been driving up the price, not the more common excuse... ah... I mean reason of supply and demand. Last week on CNBC (a cable business channel), there was an analyst on about the whole oil situation. I just forget the company he represents, but his basic comments were that oil prices are NOT being determined by supply and demand, and that there are full oil tankers "clogging" (his word) the waterways around the Middle East, because there are NO buyers for that oil. Now, maybe the guy is nuts, but I didn't hear anyone call his hand on that statement. As much as I hate to say it, this seems to jive with what the Saudis have been saying. The Saudis have been under tremendous pressure from a great number of countries, not just the United States, feeling the severe pinch of high oil and gasoline prices (if reports are to be believed, and common sense tells us that there must be a great deal of truth to the reports). Now, this past weekend, there was a big powwow in Saudi Arabia, but the result was much the same; that is, the Saudis blame the tremendous increase in oil prices (about double what they were last year) on speculators, and they promised to increase production by a scant 200,000 barrels a day, "IF" their customers ask for it.

To me, one of the major problems has been that the Bush Administration, the defenders of the wealthy and business interests, has refused to admit the speculators are part of the problem. This bunch NEVER met a millionaire, or better yet, a billionaire they didn't like; oh hell, I mean LOVE!!! Even some Republicans in Congress are screaming for the administration to get its head out of the sand and to take action to limit the damage being done by these greedy bastards, part of the "sit on their ass class." If I had my way, they'd all have to work for $8.00 an hour, with no medical insurance, and limited benefits. They be out digging ditches, paving roads, working in factories (what we have left, anyway!), running cash registers, stocking shelves, delivering furniture, waiting on tables, manning security desks, tending to sick patients, oh well, you get the point. Once they get a taste of what they've done to so many others, and what it means to REALLY have to work to earn other people BIG BUCKS, do you think it MIGHT sink in? Don't answer too quickly....

Oil Speculation

Here is the link to a good article about what might or might not happen in the halls of Congress about the rising price of oil. To be quite honest, since taking control of Congress in the '06 elections, Democrats have been timid to act, in my opinion. They grumble, but that's been pretty much it. Republican members of Congress, terrified about their current prospects for coming election, might well join Democrats in actually DOING SOMETHING! I think the American people are FAR ahead of their leaders on these things, and in the actions we would support. We aren't stupid! Don't forget, if wealthy interests can drive up the cost of oil, then they also benefit on their gasoline futures' contracts, as gasoline is then bound to go up, since oil is the main ingredient in gasoline. If there were a "bread" futures market, if you can get the price of flour way up, bread has to increase too. (By the way, the price of wheat is WAY up, and thus so is the price of flour. See how it works?)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25253877/

The Big Boys Don't Feel Our Pain

The CEOs of America's largest companies just keep rolling along, regardless of the economy. Don't you just wish you were so "lucky?"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25106423/

The Housing Bubble Crisis

Here's a link to a really good article about how the housing crisis developed. The situation seems to be far from over, and local governments and schools, often dependent upon property taxes for revenue, are feeling and will continue to feel the pinch.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25169510/

And The Housing Mess Grows

Thought I'd pass along this article about the housing mess. If you look at some of the statistics in this article, it is downright frightening.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24988315/