March 2003 - December 2011 - IT'S OVER!

March 2003 - U.S. President George W. Bush stated:

"Every effort would be made to spare the lives of innocent civilians"

12/15/11 -we hear the declaration "IT'S OVER"

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03):	4483
U.S. Wounded
320,000 Vets Have Brain Injuries
War Veterans’ Concussions Are Often Overlooked
18 Vet Suicides Per Day?
Iraqi Casualties 1,455,590
Other Coalition Troops - Iraq	319
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan	1,849
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan	974
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq	1,487
Journalists - Iraq	348
Academics Killed - Iraq	448
Sources: DoD, MNF, and iCasualties.org

Never any evidence of 'weapons of mass destruction'.

4,483 U. S. Troops were killed in action

Over 1million Iraq citizens killed

$800 billion of US taxpayers money has been spent.

I declare this War as Bush's folly! May God have mercy on us all!

peacesojourner

If It Is Thursday It's Going Green - Thoughtful Gift Giving

Remember the 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair

As we approach the Christmas season and are caught up in the hustle and bustle of activities, give some thought to energy saving purchases.

Plan to purchase a living Christmas tree with roots attached. Later you can plant it in your yard or donate it to your local parks department. If it’s a cut tree, recycle it. Shred the live tree and use the mulch in the garden around evergreen shrubs and trees.

If purchasing new holiday lights, consider seasonal light emitting diode, or LED, strings of lights. These can use up to 95 percent less energy than conventional bulbs, and they last seven times longer. Using holiday lighting wisely can lower power consumption. More strings of lights means more energy used - try reducing the number this season.

Be financially responsible: Overspending during the holidays will not only increase your stress now, but will leave you feeling anxious for months afterward as you struggle to pay the bills. Step back from the excessive gift-giving and practice simplicity, creativity and basic human kindness

Donate old toys: As the Holidays approach, help the children to sort through their toys and clothes so that any that are in good condition, but no longer used, can be shared with others. Items can be donated to a local children’s hospital, pre-schools or thrift shop where they can find a good home.

Going green is the way to go when planning gifts. - When you give someone a “green gift” it means you have taken the time to consider the environment. - It means you have given a gift that shows something about you - and that you have created a ripple effect whose final result is too significant to calculate.

1. Make a gift. Be conscious of the materials you choose and create something to show someone you care. Picture frames and mirrors are perennial favorites and people tend to keep them.

2. Buy a gift that adds a lasting element to someone’s life. A houseplant or a live organic herb garden can be wonderful gifts, they live on and bring joy (and oxygen) into someone’s home. Buy a calendar printed on 100% recycled paper with daily affirmations and uplifting quotes. These will remain with the person for a year at least, and can make a difference everyday.

3. Buy a stress-reducing present for someone. Get your best friend a gift certificate for a one-hour massage, facial or acupuncture treatment. How about a free week of yoga classes, Pilates or personal training sessions? You will be doing more for the recipient of these gifts than initially meets the eye.

4. Give to a charity. Instead of giving something directly, consider giving to a charity on behalf of a friend or family member. Many charities now allow you to track the progress being made as the result of your contribution. By doing this you are setting up a powerful connection for someone that can go way beyond a simple donation.

5. Buy something educational and entertaining. A book, CD or DVD can make a fantastic present especially when the content is uplifting.

Does the holiday have you feeling depressed? Help others - it is the best antidote to seasonal sadness. Find someone who is struggling more than you are, lend them a helping hand, and remember the real meaning of the holidays. Jesus is the reason for the season!

Don’t forget, “together we can make a difference!”

peacesojourner

Meerkats

Meerkats

Strange little creatures Meerkats are

Bobbing up and down, looking afar

One of them is always the scout

He’s on patrol, always looking out

When he’s had enough its time for another

The next scout might be his sister or brother

His duty is over, time to eat and sleep

Every now and then, he will have a peep

Just to make sure all is quite right

And get ready for his next shift later that night

Helen Antonas

*****

I visit the local zoo as often as I can and enjoy viewing the larger animals. I pass elephants, bears, lions, tigers, kangaroos and zebras as I walk around, but my favorite place to rest and observe is the area where the meerkats live.

The meerkat is a small mammal and a member of the mongoose family. It inhabits all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and South Africa.
In Africa it is known as the sun angel, as it is believed that it protects villages from the moon devil or the werewolf, which may attack stray cattle or a lone tribesmen.

The meerkat is small weighing on average about 2 pounds and uses its tail to balance when standing upright. It has small black crescent-shaped ears that can close when digging to keep sand out. Like cats, meerkats have binocular vision, a large peripheral range, depth perception, and eyes on the front of their faces. At the end of each of a meerkat's "fingers" is a non-retractable, strong ½ inch long, curved claw used for digging underground burrows and digging for prey.

They primarily feed on insects but also eat lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, plants, eggs, small mammals, millipedes, centipedes and, more rarely, small birds.

I really enjoy watching them because one ‘worker’ will frantically work nonstop until he becomes tired and at that time a replacement worker takes over and the first goes for some rest. They forage in a group with one "sentry" on guard watching for predators while the others search for food. They are agile hunters. Sentry duty is usually approximately an hour long.

They are very social creatures living in colonies that average 20-30 members. They regularly groom each other to strengthen social bonds. Meerkats demonstrate altruistic behavior within their colonies; When a predator is spotted, the meerkat performing as sentry gives a warning bark, and other members of the gang will run and hide in one of the many bolt holes they have spread across their territory. The sentry meerkat is the first to reappear from the burrow and search for predators, constantly barking to keep the others underground. If there is no threat, the sentry meerkat stops signaling and the others feel safe to emerge.

They also babysit the young in the group. Females that have never produced offspring of their own often lactate to feed the alpha pair's young, while the alpha female is away with the rest of the group. They also protect the young from threats, often endangering their own lives. On warning of danger, the babysitter takes the young underground to safety and is prepared to defend them if the danger follows. If retreating underground is not possible, she collects all of the young together and lies on top of them.Meerkats have been known to engage in social activities, including what appear to be wrestling matches and foot races.

I often feel incredulous as I watch them taking care of each other, nothing is left to chance by these tenacious creatures who can also display great tenderness towards each other.

"All for one and one for all" seems to be the motto for these tiny warriors living throughout the African continent. Small and vulnerable, they make their way by working together, rarely taking on danger alone. Meerkats have an average life span of 12-14 years. These intelligent animals are extremely communicative and posses a large vocabulary.

Meerkats live in communities and depend on one another for survival. They flourish in their environment and are not endangered.

As I watch them I sometimes find myself wishing that humans could mirror their behavior. All have equal importance and they rotate the jobs that they do so that each learns how to enhance the life skills that will keep them all safe and protected. We could learn a lot from them.

"All for one and one for all" - or in today's language

Together we can!

Sunday Reflection - Today is the Third Sunday in Advent

Blessed Are You

Blessed are you, who like Mary, say Yes to God.

Blessed are you this advent as you prepare for the coming of Christ.

Blessed are you

when you reach out in love for one another, when you love your neighbor in need.

Blessed are you when you speak words of peace to one another.

Blessed are you when

you tell each other the good things God is doing in your lives.

Blessed are you when you welcome Jesus into your lives.

Rev, John Dear S.J.

Full Moon on Dec 10, 2011 - The Long Night Moon

Credit & Copyright: John Harms

What an exciting day this is! Early this morning we were able to view an eclipse of the moon, tonight is a full moon.

Full moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. Those tribes of a few hundred years ago kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred.

There were some variations in the moon names, but in general the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England on west to Lake Superior. European settlers followed their own customs and created some of their own names.

December’s names of The Long Night Moon, Snow Moon or Full Cold Moon are self explanatory because this is the month when the winter cold begins to fasten its grip

During this Season of Light, collectively, we will find ourselves more receptive to the concept of Peace on Earth, good will towards Humanity. The typical hustle and bustle of past Holiday Season’s may not be as intense during this coming season.

The best way to understand life is to see the Big Picture. We need to find meaning for our life's experience, and we do that through the lens of our core beliefs and values, and through our myths and stories.

This time of year between Thanksgiving and Winter Solstice (and associated religious holidays) has always been a time of preparation and expectation. Christians call it Advent, (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming"); it is the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

But you don't have to be Christian to use this time as a preparation for a new birth. We all sense that this time is a preparation for the return of the Light of the World. December 21st, Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year is also the re-birth of the Light in the Northern Hemisphere, has always been a sacred season.

At this time Mother Earth, the Moon and the Sun are in a direct line with each other, which causes a gravitational pull. Mother Earth is made up of over two thirds water, and the waves of the ocean overflow on the beaches.

Like Mother, like child. Our bodies are also composed of a high percentage of water, over fifty percent. You just might very well feel this tug on the water in your body. If you live close to the seashore, take a walk and watch the high tide engulfing the shore. Drink more water today to replenish yourself.

One of the secrets of the Moon is rejuvenation, revitalization, to begin anew. If life knocks you down, it doesn't have to be forever. When you see that moon, know it's time to pick yourself back up, begin anew. Maybe you'll want to read inspirational quotes, listen to music that uplifts you. Take a walk and look at the wonders of nature. There is no set way; the day is yours to create; just keep in mind that you want to fill yourself up with inspiration.

According to folklore, a December full moon is known as the Long Night Moon. Nights are getting longer for most of the month, which gives the moon more time to illuminate the darkened sky.

This is a wonderful time to bring people together to share new ideas and to learn more about each other. Go outside this evening and look up – the full moon will be there, even if she is hiding behind passing clouds.

*****

"When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator" (Mahatma Gandhi)

*****

peacesojourner

Today is International Human Rights Day

Today is known as Human Rights Day or International Human Rights Day.

Eleanor Roosevelt of the United States holding a Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 in Paris. The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are entitled

Here is an abbreviated list of the Articles passed on 12/10/1948

Article 1 - All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Article 2 - Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. .

Article 3 - Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4 - No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5 - No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6 - Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7 - All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.

Article 8 - Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law

Article 9 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10 - Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11 - Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.

Article 12 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13 - Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

Article 14 - Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

Article 15 - Everyone has the right to a nationality.

Article 16 - Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family.

Article 17 - Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

Article 18 - Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19 - Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Article 20 - Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

Article 21 - Everyone has the right to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

Article 22 - Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security.

Article 23 - Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

Article 24 - Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25 - Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

Article 26 - Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.

Article 27 - Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

Article 28 - Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29 - Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

Article 30 - Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

*****

I hope that you will read each Article slowly and let in be absorbed within. All of these beliefs were recorded 62 years ago. Do you think that they have been enforced around the world? It is important for us to remember that they are in place and that we should do everything that we can to be fair to all people no matter who they are or where they live.

December 10, 2011 - International Human Rights Day

peacesojourner

Help - I think I may be addicted to Blogging!

Since I started writing a blog there have been some changes in my life.

Here I am at my new 'convenience' desk. You will notice that I have a new hairstyle -

no time to comb my hair any more.

I think I have a new addiction!

Here's someone I met on-line - one of

the top Bloggers in the nation :-)

Now, about facebook - don't even ask :-)

peacesojourner

Sunday Reflection - Today is the Second Sunday in Advent

Today is the second Sunday in Advent

The Advent season marks the beginning of the Christian year in many western churches in the United States. Its length varies from 22 to 28 days, starting on the Sunday nearest St Andrew’s Day (read this blog's Nov 30th entry) and encompassing the next three Sundays, ending on Christmas Day.

Many Christians in the United States attend a church service during Advent and may engage in activities such as special prayers and contributing to ideas on enhancing peace. Many Advent traditions are observed in the United States in the prelude to Christmas Day. For example, the Advent wreath is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. The wreath can be seen in various churches across the nation around this time of the year.

Advent calendars of all designs are also given as gifts at this time of the year. The calendars feature openings in the form of windows or doors that are numbered to count the days to Christmas. Calendars may contain chocolates, toys, or candy and are given to children as a fun way to observe the Christmas countdown. Some traditional Advent calendars show 24 days but many Advent calendars showing 25 days, with the last opening on Christmas Day.

It is uncertain as to when exactly the celebration of Advent was first introduced in the Christian church. Some sources say that Advent began on November 11 (St Martin's Day) at some time in the fifth century in the form of a six-week fast leading to Christmas. Advent was reduced to its current length at some stage in the sixth century and the fasting was later no longer observed. Advent is originally a time to reflect and prepare for Christmas

Advent traditions spread from Europe to the United States, especially the Advent calendar, which became very popular in the United States after World War II as American military personnel and their families who were stationed in Germany brought them home and made them a part of the pre-Christmas traditions

Purple is historically the main color used for Advent because it reflects penitence, fasting, and the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the king (Jesus Christ). The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his first Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his second Advent.

Advent wreaths are symbolic of Advent. They are usually made of fir and decorated with gold and silver ribbons or scarlet woolen threads. Lit wreaths may be displayed on the table where family and friends sit while singing carols and preparing handmade gifts.

So there you have it:

Advent is a period of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. During this time, Christians observe a season of prayer, fasting and repentance, followed by anticipation, hope and joy - not only by thanking God for Christ's first coming to Earth as a baby, but also for his presence among us today through the Holy Spirit, and in preparation and anticipation of his final coming at the end of time.

peacesojourner

Today is Bloggers Unite - World-Aids-Day

The origin of AIDS and HIV has puzzled scientists ever since the illness first came to light in the early 1980s. For almost thirty years it has been the subject of fierce debate and the cause of countless disagreements, with everything from a promiscuous flight attendant to a suspect vaccine program being blamed. So what is the truth? Just where did AIDS come from?

The first recognized cases of AIDS occurred in the USA in the early 1980’s. A number of men in New York and California suddenly began to develop rare opportunistic infections and cancers that seemed stubbornly resistant to any treatment. At this time, AIDS did not yet have a name, but it quickly became obvious that all the men were suffering from a common syndrome.

The dominant feature of this first period was silence, for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was unknown and transmission was not yet understood. By 1980, HIV had spread to at least five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Australia). During this period of silence, the spread was unchecked by awareness or any preventive action and approximately 100,000-300,000 persons may have been infected.

In June 1981 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) published a report about the occurrence, without identifiable cause, of rare lung infection Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in five men in Los Angeles. This report is sometimes referred to as the "beginning" of AIDS, but it might be more accurate to describe it as the beginning of the general awareness of AIDS in the USA

Because there was so little known about the transmission of what seemed to be a new disease, there was concern about contagion, and whether the disease could by passed on by people who had no apparent signs or symptoms.

In 1982 we had a family friend who was diagnosed with AIDS. At that time it was a very new disease and no one knew what it was or how you got it, however, it was rumored was that it was a definite death sentence.

Norman was an entertainer, a dancer who also belonged to a local singing group. He was gentle and kind and a lifelong friend to several people. When he was diagnosed he was told that he was going to die and his mother opted to take him to her home. At that time it was an enormous secret if a person had AIDS because no one knew if it was an airborne disease or not. We, his friends, had several discussions about just how supportive we could be without putting ourselves, and our families at risk.

Norman’s birthday was approaching and one of our group, Bernard, insisted that we should give Norman a surprise birthday party. We wanted to go to visit him but we were still cautious. We tried to find out everything that had been printed about the illness. Well we discovered that it was not airborne and that we could not get AIDS from being in Norman’s presence. Bernard purchased a beautiful birthday cake and we purchased paper plates and napkins along with plastic forks and spoons. We knocked on his mother’s door and enthusiastically announced our arrival by singing “Happy Birthday To You”. He was so frail and weak but he managed a giant smile and we spent the afternoon with him. The men who were members of his singing group serenaded him with songs and even did a few dance steps. It is still a ‘happy memory’ day.

The acronym AIDS was suggested at a July meeting in Washington, D.C., AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was first properly defined by the CDC in September 1982, and they published their first set of recommended precautions for health-care workers and allied professionals designed to prevent AIDS transmission.

Still very little was known about transmission and public anxiety continued to grow.

In 1983 it was reported that the cause of AIDS was unknown, but it seemed most likely to be caused by an agent transmitted by intimate sexual contact, through contaminated needles, or, less commonly, by inoculation of infectious blood or blood products. No evidence suggested transmission of AIDS by airborne spread.

In October, the first European World Health Organization (WHO) meeting was held in Denmark. At the meeting it was reported that there had been 2,803 AIDS cases in the USA. By the end of the year the number of AIDS cases in the USA had risen to 3,064 and of these 1,292 had died. Our friend Norman was included in the list of persons who died in 1983.

Our friendship with Norman led me to become an advocate for people living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)/AIDS. I started a support group for teenage children whose parents had died from, or were currently living with, AIDS. These young people could not talk about it to their school friends and were stigmatized by society. The peer group gave them an opportunity to talk it over with some other young people.

The story I related to you happened 29 years ago and I am sorry to say that there is still an enormous stigma that is born by people who are infected or affected with HIV/AIDS. The statistics today are heavy and many people remain ignorant of the disease.

The death toll since the epidemic began in the early 1980s has reached 22 million, including at least 4.3 million children. More than 36 million people worldwide are now living with HIV/AIDS and every month an additional 440,000 people become infected. Approximately 95% of AIDS cases are in the developing world.

HIV/AIDS rivals poverty and war as a threat to the lives of millions of children in the developing world. There are many worthy organizations worldwide that are working towards a cure. I recommend that you to look them up online and see if you can help in some way.

I urge you to learn more about this disease and at the very least, give a person living with HIV/AIDS a smile and a hug. Yes, human contact is important to let a person know that you care.

I have lived in different countries around the world where I learned that education and medications for HIV/AIDS are not available to everyone for a variety of reasons.

This year, on World AIDS Day is is important to support universal access and human rights. Access for all to learn about prevention, treatment, care, and support is key to conquering HIV/AIDS, and is a fundamental human right.

Wont you give it some thought and then make a decision about how you can help in some small way? Please!

peacesojourner