Category Archives: Disturbing Thoughts

Jan 08 0 comments
Disturbing Thoughts

Life without the Net

Our internet connection was down for a good chunk of the evening. The outage came without warning (does it EVER come WITH a warning?!) as I was busily catching up on everyone’s blogs.

Panic set in as one connection after another failed.

When I realized, with a sudden horror, that we had lost our connection, I felt a dizzying sense of disembodiment. I’m sure that I was starting to hyperventilate. Had I forgotten to pay the monthly bill? No, I was sure that I had - recalling distinctly my reaction (can we say ‘bitch’?) to the ever-increasing rate each month’s invoice brings.

Was it a hardware failure? No, everything on our end appeared to be in working order. Kevin called the cable company after an hour or so of blackout. The taped message confirmed my worst fears - a general outage in our area that they were working to resolve.

It felt like the age of darkness had descended upon the house… I felt lost. Seriously. I couldn’t surf any of my favorites sites: Instapundit, Lileks or any of the other some 100+ sites that suck my brain out through my eyeballs every night… I mean that in a good way, of course.

I was going to resign myself to a quiet evening - perhaps with a book - or even go to bed early - but, a miracle happened (OK, not really) and our connection was restored.

Yeah.

Unfortunately, I’m so shaken by my few forced hours of net-free life, that my brain is too jumbled to think about a serious blog for tonight. OK, that makes the assumption that my previous blogs are serious… Please.

At least I’m keeping up with my non-New Years resolution to blog at least one entry a day.

Ta da.

Jan 06 0 comments
Disturbing Thoughts

Life Continues… Despite the Monsters

Life continues to create itself and fall away, and suffering returns, and delight arrives, if even for a moment–agony, peace, rapture.

-Sandy Boucher, “Hidden Spring”

. . .

The above quote from Beliefnet.com’s Daily Buddhist Wisdom newsletter was waiting for me in my mailbox when I got home today.

. . .

This is a disturbing reminder that monsters often inhabit human bodies.

NEWARK, N.J. - A 7-year-old boy’s remains were found in a plastic storage bin Sunday, a day after his two brothers were found alive but starving in a locked room of the same house, authorities said.

Faheem Williams had been dead for weeks, Edward Gordon of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office told The Star-Ledger of Newark. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed Monday.

The child’s twin brother, Raheem, and another brother, Tyrone, 4, were being treated for starvation and dehydration at University Hospital in Newark.

The most disturbing and heartwrenching comment came from the innocent lips of the surviving twin, Raheem, on Sunday when he told investigators at the hospital that he “had another brother who had been missing for weeks.”

Police found Faheem’s body in another basement room later that day.

I feel awful for the surviving boys - perhaps surviving this ordeal is worse than death. I would think that the psychological - as well as physical - damage incurred by these two little boys must be quite extensive) Since the article suggests that the mother was/is in a NYC hospital, I have to believe that this was just a tragedy all around. Perhaps it’s naive of me to hope that the mother loved the boys - and would not have treated them this way. Then, again, where is the father?

James said the younger boy had suffered burns from his neck down that affected his ability to walk.

Both boys were enjoying food and freedom to play, he said, noting that Tyrone was eating jelly from a jar.

“[They are] two kids with good manners, good spirit, suffering for no reason of their own,” he said. “They’re reaching out for love and caring.”

What kind of a monster could knowingly mistreat little kids this way?? I truly believe in an ‘eye for an eye’ for crimes this ungodly cruel and sick - lock her up in a room and withhold food and water until she dies… See how she appreciates the endless pangs of hunger and thirst. It’s a very prolonged and painful way to die. (Why should the tax payers have to support this witch?!?)

Hang her. Shoot her. Inject her.

Just kill her.

. . . Deep breath . . .

I’m pretty sure that the Buddha wouldn’t approve of my vehemence.

Unlike poor Faheem, I have a lifetime to repent.

Jan 03 0 comments
Disturbing Thoughts

A slip of the tongue - or a cunning mind game?

Q If we do have to go to war and —

THE PRESIDENT: With which country?

Q With Iraq. And if — and with our economy stagnating, what makes you confident that we can afford —

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, you know, I’m hopeful we won’t have to go war, and let’s leave it at that.

Q But if we do, though, what —

THE PRESIDENT: Until Saddam Hussein makes up his mind to disarm — see, it’s his choice to make. See, you need to ask him that question, not me.

Q But the White House is drawing up plans to pay for the war, if we come to that. So why —

THE PRESIDENT: Well, let’s leave it at if, for a while then, until it happens.

…

You can read the entire transcript of President Bush’s remarks to the Press Pool today at his ranch in Crawford, TX here.

…

President Bush warned Saddam Hussein yesterday that his “day of reckoning is coming.” This article appears to give credence to this fact, with “some units of the 45,000-member U.S. 1st Marine Expeditionary Force” set to deploy from California’s Camp Pendleton to the Gulf region. Last week, more than 11,000 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division in the state of Georgia got the call. With nearly 60,000 U.S. military personnel already in the Gulf, our forces could double by February.

My prediction? I once thought that war against Iraq was unavoidable - we need to finish the job and expel Hussein (although my personal preference would be in a coffin). The more power and might we send over there, the more I see the leadership of the neighboring Arab countries increasing their pressure on Hussein to go into exile.

Then our troops would be free to deal with the mad little dictator in North Korea.

However, I would prefer to see the US withdraw our troops from South Korea and let Japan, China, Russia and South Korea deal with the little twerp. I don’t know why our brave men and women should shed their blood for people who so clearly detest Americans.

Hmm… Ironically, you could substitute Germany or France or any other European country for “South Korea” and the result is the same….

Anybody else tired of being the unappreciated peacekeepers of the world™?

Then there’s always the Saudis to deal with….

God speed faithful warriors.

Dec 31 0 comments
Disturbing Thoughts

Dangerous Cargo?

According to government officials, 15 Freighters Believed to Be Linked To Al Qaeda have been under observation at various ports of call and on the high seas.

These same government officials are:

Concerned about the vulnerabilities of American shipping since Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. officials have started paying more attention than ever to what cargo is loaded onto ships entering U.S. waters, and to who serves on crews, as well as to stowaways and individuals who appear to be surveying U.S. ports.

My concern is WHEN did the government REALLY “start paying attention” to the various suspicious vessels (sometimes “numbering up to 50 vessels”)? If there were up to 50 vessels at one time , then there should still be 50 vessels out there somewhere possibly “ferrying operatives, bombs, money or commodities over the high seas”… Does anyone else worry that officials may have lost track of the one vessel that may have been carrying a nuclear material?

Dec 06 0 comments
Disturbing Thoughts

Deadline to a Showdown?

Time is running out for the Iraqis to provide an honest accounting of their Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

IRAQI DECLARATION AND CONSEQUENCES
If the United Nations finds the declaration to be incomplete or untrue, it could find Iraq in “material breach” of Resolution 1441, which calls for Iraq to fully disclose its weapons of mass destruction programs and to disarm.

The U.S. government has said if Iraq does not comply and fully disarm, it will lead a coalition to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein through military force.

Iraq has indicated that it will turn over a tome of information on Saturday, December 7. This is fully one day before the UN-imposed deadline. Warning bells are ringing for me. Anybody else have their tinfoil hat on?

Perhaps more disturbing is the fact that “the U.N. has announced that the document won’t be given to the Security Council until inspectors have examined it and possibly edit material out“. Disturbing indeed.

Dec 03 0 comments
Disturbing Thoughts

Violence in a Small Town

In general, I’m a peace-loving person who would prefer to avoid a confrontation with anyone. In general. I’d love the opportunity to have a few minutes alone with the teenagers who senselessly beat a legally-blind gentleman to death in a once quiet northern Minnesota town.