Blogcritics Author: Silas Kain

The One Issue Neither Candidate Has Brought Up

Silas Kain — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:26:47 EDT

Economy? Iraq? Terrorism? Pardon me, but it's about pardons.
These last couple of weeks I, along with the rest of the world, have been closely monitoring this financial collapse and as a sidebar I’ve been watching how it relates to this Presidential election cycle. My view of this race has been completely schizophrenic this year. I am certain many others out there share my confusion. After last...

Is It Schizophrenia Or Politics? I Confess It's Both

Silas Kain — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 22:50:42 EDT

Politics or schizophrenia -- either way I need a valium!
Bless me, Patrick Henry, for I have sinned. I consider myself somewhat intelligent. And I keep asking myself why have I become politically schizophrenic? I was once a very staunch Republican. That was in the days of Ronald Reagan. Once he was gone, it's almost like the false security Reagan provided was ripped out from under me. Oh, I know,...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Remembering the 38th President...

Silas Kain — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 05:13:03 EST

The passing of President Gerald R. Ford may be the prelude to a watershed moment in American politics. For this weekend, as we close this year, the last, best hope for civil American discourse is remembered and buried. Americans, and for that matter citizens of the world, would do well to pause and examine those tumultuous months Gerald Ford occupied the Oval Office. Here was a man who sacrificed his own political career in the best interest of a nation. Here is a man who rose above politics to stand by his friend, Richard M. Nixon in his darkest hours.A new generation of Americans has come into the American political landscape devoid of the civility and integrity Gerald Ford espoused. Tonight, as his body enters the Nation's Capitol one last time, members of Congress would do well to recall a time when bipartisan discourse was civil. This week, as a nation remembers President Ford and his impact on history, let us ask ourselves, "What can I do?" Gerald Ford reluctantly left his beloved Congress to serve as Vice President. He reluctantly assumed the cloak of the Presidency in our nation's most uncertain moment. He solidly lived behind his decision to grant pardon to an embattled, broken predecessor. Gerald Ford is the last of a dead breed. Honor, integrity and American pride are all but dead.One cannot help but imagine Gerald Ford entering the Gates of Heaven being greeted by Mike Mansfield, Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan. One can easily imagine that as they greet each other, they express disdain on what we've become in America. What happened to honor? What happened to integrity? What happened to reasonable, unbridled civil discourse? What can we do, as individual Americans, to get us back to that point? Is it too late? Has technology and big business so overtaken our senses that we've forgotten the human condition? And to the party he so loved, one must ask, "when will we stop this nonsense?" When shall we return to the roots of the Republican cause? The party of Gerald R. Ford is not as it was and that, my friends, is an insult to the service Gerald R. Ford delivered to America.Mr. President, thank you. You were the first candidate for the presidency for whom I voted back in 1976. For 40 years many of us have believed that you were short changed by politically driven harlots dressed in the patriotic red, white and blue. Republicans in the heartland and in the urban centers Across America, remember. Take a lesson from the Ford playbook and take this Grand Old Party back. Let us gather at that city on a hill and proclaim that we will no longer stand for the divide in our Nation's Capitol. Let us proclaim from the wheat fields of Nebraska to the oil fields in Alaska that we will not stand for this derision any longer. Let us, guided by the quiet grace of Gerald Ford's example, rise up and take America back -- if not for the memory of Gerald R. Ford, but for ourselves.Mr. President, Godspeed on your journey home. This is one American who is eternally grateful.

An Open Letter to Mark Foley

Silas Kain — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 10:34:38 EDT

Dear Congressman Foley,I'm sorry that you're going through all this drama for the inappropriate behavior you exhibited while serving your Congressional District. That being said, as far as I am concerned you paid the ultimate price by resigning your position and departing in disgrace. Casting your Congressional service aside, I have to take exception to the spin you and your minions have created in the aftermath of your self-induced scandal.Congressman Foley, I was molested as a boy. I was sodomized by a pedophile who loved preying on young boys because he had issues with power and control. My molester isn't gay. Society tries to tell me he is, but he's not. He's a pedophile -- no more, no less. It took me years to heal from the trauma of countless sexual encounters as a boy. I don't know which was worse -- the fact that I was taken advantage of by a predator or the fact that I had relatives who were fully aware of what was happening to me and did nothing about it so as not to bring shame upon our family. That's all water over the dam now. Those dark days have been stored away in a place where I won't forget but can at least survive. That's what I share with other folks that suffered the way I did.When your indiscretions surfaced, you immediately spun things in the wrong direction. Yeah, it's obvious you are gay. Guess what? So am I. I am gay not because I was sodomized repeatedly as a kid. I'm gay because that's the way I was born. Nobody's to blame. Nobody needs to feel any shame. I'm quite comfortable with who I am. Your experiences as a child did not mold you into becoming gay. If that's what you're using as your justification, the issue of your homosexuality is minor compared to your delusional rationalization for why you are who you are. Believe me, there's no doubt in my mind that my molester knew I was gay even at an early age. I know that because he admitted it to me. We've discussed this at length and it doesn't justify what he did. Congressman, you've got nothing to be ashamed of because of your homosexuality. You've got plenty to be ashamed of concerning your behavior. These are two distinctly separate issues.Now comes the revelation that you were "fondled" by a priest. Oh, Lord, Congressman. How does that justify what you did? So you were petted by a priest. You're an intelligent man. Why, I'll bet you were a pretty intelligent adolescent. Somehow I have a feeling that the alleged sessions you had with this priest weren't as traumatic as you would lead us to believe. Isn't it amazing how you have failed to be accountable for your actions? That's such a typically political thing to do. That's a big problem for us in America -- we pass the buck and forget accountability. Congressman, come out from hiding behind the veil of the Church and the bottle. Your religion didn't make you queer. Your alleged addiction to alcohol didn't unleash your homosexuality. It's obvious that you're ashamed more of your homosexuality and getting discovered. That's sad. You had an opportunity to come out of the closet. This could have been handled in such a way where the gay community would have welcomed, embraced, and nurtured you. Instead you have chosen a different route which alienates you far more than had you turned to us for comfort and support. We have a couple of things in common. We're Republican in our roots. We're homosexual. That's where the line is drawn. I'm gay and proud. You're a coward.

Reaffirming My American Roots

Silas Kain — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 18:10:08 EDT

I’m proclaiming my fealty. My allegiance. My friendship. My love. For Chip (my significant other’s nickname) and my country. You see, Chip has taught me so much in the time that we’ve been together. It’s been because of his love and philosophy on life that I’ve come to rediscover my American roots. If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.What if tomorrow we woke up and all our things were gone? How would each one of us have handled living in the aftermath of Katrina? How could any red-blooded American in the urban jungle live though a terror attack? Are we really the land of the free and the home of the brave? Or, are we more slaves to materialism and cowards when push comes to shove? Yet, in spite of all these questions, I do thank my lucky stars that I was born in America.And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.I haven’t forgotten all the men AND women who died insuring that I’d have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Chip talks about how early Americans cherished their freedom and what little they had. He talks about how tough life was in Armenia after the earthquake. His eyes look lost and sad when he speaks of his family’s repatriation to a suburb of Moscow. That was the Soviet way of dealing with a natural disaster. Whisked away from their homeland, Chip’s family faced several years in Soviet Russia before they were given the opportunity to be welcomed into the bosom of Lady Liberty. I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.So, what’s the point to all this? I’ve been cynical. I’ve become a typical American so wrapped up in the day-to-day challenges of life that I forgot how important being a part of the process actually is.I forgot that being an American may mean that I can be free to do anything I want but that doesn’t negate my responsibility to my community, my country, and to me. I see what Chip has been through in his short life. It hasn’t been easy. And those challenges he and his family endured helped shape the man he is today. You know, he tells me all too often that I am so unlike most Americans.He’s right - to a point. And here we are, Chip. Two men from two different worlds separated not only by culture but also by a generation. I’m a little bit country; you’re a little bit rock ‘n roll. I’m entering the autumn of my life while you are in the full bloom of spring.I believe that by working hard you can achieve your dreams. I believe that by getting involved in the political system, an individual can make a difference. I believe that anyone who crosses our borders in search of building a better life for themselves and their families deserves that chance.I believe in the human spirit, which is divinely designed to withstand so much for so little. I believe that two men can forge a friendship, create a partnership in love and build a respectable life together as life partners.I believe that as different as we are, we are so much alike. Perhaps I am not the typical American you are used to seeing, Chip. Perhaps I’ve opened your eyes to another side of American life. Perhaps it is not that I am so atypical an American. Perhaps it is I who has preserved that sacred bond with our forefathers in their quest for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.It took an immigrant to cause me to reach the conclusion that I am more American than people are willing to admit and for that I thank you. Welcome to America, Chip. Thank you.

Boston Could Do Without Officer Friendly

Silas Kain — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 07:08:59 EDT

This is a personal rant and rave but it’s going to feel oh so good. After the insignificant experience I had today, I pondered what my response should be to an officer of the law who lacks common decency and respect, so here goes.I had the opportunity today to be traveling in the Metropolitan Boston area, the bastion of liberal politics. There I was, driving on Market Street in a little Boston hamlet known as Brighton at 2:34 this afternoon. I was trying to find Route 20 and was having one hell of a time, so I stopped and asked a Boston Police Officer, who was working a detail at a construction site, for simple directions. Officer Friendly, being capped with a mane of white flowing hair and judging by the ruddiness of his skin was another typical Irish Bostonian, looked at me like I was a common criminal. There were construction workers standing there talking to him and he seemed put out by my question. Without addressing me directly, Officer Friendly said to the workers, "Hey guys, what do you call a deer without eyes?" One worker replied, “What?” Officer Friendly pointed at me and said, "He’s right in front of us." Well, giggle giggle, ha ha.So, what’s the moral of my story? It’s quite simple. Officer Friendly is a clear-cut example of everything that is wrong with public service. He discounts the fact that he is paid with taxpayer dollars. Because he wears a blue uniform and a silly little Silver Star badge on his shirt, he thinks his balls are bigger than most. The sarcasm wasn’t necessary. For that matter, the stupid jerk never did give me the directions. Remember that the majority of police officers on special details are making time and one half their hourly rate. They’re being paid by us, the poor little taxpayer. Courtesy and respect go a long way and personally, if I was the Chief of Police in Boston, Massachusetts, I’d be checking the records on which officer was working that detail today.Crime is up in Boston and the surrounding area. Money is tight for public safety. Life may be good for Officer Friendly, but it isn’t so good for a lot of other folks. So, Officer Friendly, a little respect goes a long way. Now this isn’t a blanket indictment of police officers. The majority of police officers in the United States are underpaid, overworked, and are given little to no respect. But that doesn’t give an officer the right to treat John Q. Public like a piece of dirt. Officer Friendly, I hope you get wind of this. I hope you become the laughing stock of your department. You are a discredit to law enforcement. You are blight on public service. If you were in an altercation, I wouldn’t step up to the plate to offer my assistance. You aren’t worth the sand stuck in the soles of my track shoes. And while you think you had the last laugh at my expense, rest assured the joke is on you.

I Surrender, Uncle Sam...

Silas Kain — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:16:27 EST

Dear Mr. President and Congress,Well, now that we've been given this great Medicare Prescription Drug Program, I'd like to thank you. You have hastened my demise. Thanks to your so-called great program, my cost for medications has increased by 600%. That's right Mr. President & Congress, you've made it simple for me.As of today I have disposed of any and all medications I had remaining. I have directed my pharmacist to cancel the refills that I have requested. Sorry, George, I know that it really doesn't amount to a hill of beans that one Social Security Disability recipient is taking this stand. And, frankly, I don't give a rat's ass what you think. So, it sounds dramatic, but here it is. No more meds. No more depending on Uncle Sam. I'm done. I'm finished. Thank you, Grand Old Party, take your country and shove it. This is the end of the line. My friends, caring about your country and actually believing in the American Dream is a big crock of shit. All these years I have lived in a rose-tinted world where I believed in the basic goodness of mankind. Sorry, folks, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I was totally wrong. Your government doesn't care. Most of your fellow Americans don't care so long as they continue to get rich and want for nothing while amassing possessions that are worthless to them when they're dead.So, there it is folks. That's where it ends for me. I'm done. Thanks for nothing, Congress. Thanks for even less, Mr. Bush. This is Silas Kain, over and outta here.

America's Newest Health Care Crisis: The Lack of School Nurses

Silas Kain — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 17:57:37 EST

An interesting subject that causes me great concern has appeared in the press this week. To many of you the issue will seem insignificant, but one has to wonder if the problem is just another symptom of our propensity to put off until tomorrow what we should be doing today. The subject is the shortage of school nurses in America's schools. Sounds kind of silly, doesn't it? Why should taxpayers worry about it? Well, for one, kids have died because of not having a full-time school nurse in their respective schools. Secondly, school districts have not made the school nurse a priority by failing to give him/her an equitable wage or support. Bruce Horovitz and Kevin McCoy present a scathing indictment of the lack of school nurses in the Dec. 13 issue of USA Today. Five years ago, 17-year-old Albert Lee attended Mills High School, in Millbrae, CA. The high school senior died of cardiac arrest in a school where there was no school nurse assigned. Today, there remains a vacancy in that department. In Utah, a school nurses' group contends that the state has the worst nurse-to-student ratio in America. One concerned parent is trying to do something about it: And in Utah, where the nurse-to-student ratio is estimated by a school nurses' group to be the worst in the nation, a parent has launched a petition drive to seek state funding for more nurses. Paula Tuck's 10-year-old daughter, Michaela, suffered seizures in September after she panicked during an asthma attack at school and accidentally overdosed on the medication in her inhaler. Her school had no nurse on duty that day. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention survey shows that 47 percent of America's schools fall short of the federally recommended nurse-to-student ratio of one nurse for every 750 students. The National Association of School Nurses estimates that the nurse-to-student ratio may be worse than government figures report. The NASN estimates that there's one school nurse for every 1,461 students. And, that doesn't take into consideration the schools where there is no full-time school nurse on duty as in the Lynwood High School, in Lynwood, CA, where 3,400 students attend without the benefit of a nurse. One of the major problems that confront school nurses is the paltry salaries paid. On average, a typical school nurse earns $36,000 annually. That's about $20 thousand less than a nurse makes in a hospital. In many cases, school districts are strapped for cash and the first casualty is usually the school nurse. Many districts rely on clerical employees to handle minor injuries and medical problems. That's not to say that the lack of school nurses is the only problem faced in providing medical attention. There are many districts where school nurses have made mistakes in diagnosis and dispensing of medications which has had tragic consequences. These mistakes are not common but bear some attention. The bottom line, however, is that the concept of "no child left behind" must include insuring that when a child attends a public school, he/she will be afforded emergency medical treatment in a timely manner. The failure of some school districts to provide even funding for school nurses should be considered a national disgrace. In a country as great as the United States of America, it's hard to believe that we are sorely lacking in making the education of children a priority. Education doesn't only mean reading, writing and arithmetic. It's about setting an example. Those districts that have failed to provide qualified school nurses are indicating that health care is not a concern. If our children are not taught at an early age that preventative medicine should be a routine part of life, how can we expect to raise healthy Americans? We've got a horrible obesity rate. We've got a horrible record on providing routine emergency medical care to our public school students. Our school nurses and teachers are underpaid. We're not cultivating the cream of the crop. Children learn by our example - at home, in school, on television and in our churches. Parents must accept responsibility for their part in this failure. We need a real dialog in America about where education is heading. And just as importantly, it's time we look at our health care system without the intervention of the American Medical Association, drug companies and Bill Frist.

Movie Review: Brokeback Mountain

Silas Kain — Fri, 9 Dec 2005 04:22:34 EST

It's no secret. I've been heralding the arrival of Ang Lee's new movie for months. It's been called the gay cowboy movie. Whispers in rural America and among testosterone driven heterosexual men is that there's no such thing as a queer cowboy and they wouldn't be caught dead seeing this piece of trash. I knew that the movie must have touched a nerve because the Christian Communication Network is parading a 'former' gay man and his ex-wife around the media expressing the dangers of the film. Annie Proulx's short story appeared in the New Yorker back in 1997. It's a beautiful short story. Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana collaborated to bring Proulx's characters to life in their screenplay. The script had been called the most perfect script ever written. Artistically, those who read it were moved by its beauty and innocence. Business wise, studio executives loved the script but were afraid to invest. Let's face it, "gay movies" don't do well in the mainstream. But, I was excited. I'd read the story and loved it. I'm throwing all of this out on the table ahead of time because I want you to know the mindset I was in. And by the time I am finished, I want you to understand that this is not a gay cowboy movie by any stretch of the imagination. What it will do, however, is dig deep into your chest, grab your heart; rip it out and into shreds; and, in the end, it will leave you wondering why you ever gave into the 'gay cowboy' hype.Larry McMurtry is a brilliant writer who has brought us screenplays like The Last Picture Show, Lonesome Dove and Terms of Endearment. So, that's where we begin. Brokeback Mountain is the natural offspring a marriage between Dove and Endearment who happens to have grown in that lonesome, dusty town so familiar in Picture Show. Ang Lee, known for taking cinematic risks, has delivered a decidedly American product. It was a friendship... Set in the American West in the early 60's, we meet two drifting cowboys, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal). Ennis is the quintessential cowboy - quiet, brooding, masculine and tender. Jack is ever the optimist, innocent to the core who hasn't been tarnished by society's view of what the world is supposed to be. They take a job tending a flock of sheep. As they carry out their duties, they share stories about women, the West and life in general. They do what most males do out in the wilderness... they bond....that became a secret. Ennis and Jack find comfort in one another. They are confused and surprised by their attraction. They learn that the other fills that need that all humans have for that one special person - a soul mate - who will 'complete' them. You will be taken with them as they go up to the mountaintop.. By the time they - and you - return from that mountain at summer's end, the change is irrevocable. Ennis cannot help but be haunted by the memories of a queer rancher who was severely beaten when he was a kid. As powerful as his love for Jack may be, he cannot fathom having anything more than that one summer in the sun. It was their special secret - something that would sustain them in the loneliest of times.There are places we can't return... Life goes on for our cowboys. Ennis marries Alma Beers, brilliantly played by Ledger's real-life fiance Michelle Williams. They build a life together. Ennis goes through the motions of being a happily married man but it's clear that there's something missing. In the meantime Jack goes on the amateur rodeo circuit, falls in love with rodeo queen Lureen Newsome (Anne Hathaway) and marries her. Four years later, Jack is coming through town and sends Ennis a postcard announcing his arrival. The moment they see each other, the emptiness they felt is gone. The love has only become stronger in their efforts to live a normal life. Unbeknown to the star crossed lovers, Alma has seen their passionate kiss but for the time being she does nothing. She does what so many spouses do - ignores the issue until it blows up in her face. There are lies we have to tell... Ennis and Jack make periodic 'fishing trips' to Brokeback Mountain. It's the only time in their lives when they are happy. We struggle with them as they try and make their marriages work. We see the angst the wives suffer wondering what part of their spouse is missing from their lives. Though Ennis is tormented, you know that being with Jack is his salvation. So many lies are told to protect their secret relationship. They suffer inexplicable anguish - in different ways. Ennis continues to resist making any more out of it. Brokeback Mountain is their refuge - the only place on God's Earth where they can be free to be who they are.There are truths we can't deny. Jack's love for Ennis is so unencumbered that he dreams of starting a ranch with him where they can live in peace. Ennis' heart is heavy. In spite of the fact that Jack is the only pure thing in his life, he can't reconcile himself to a more permanent situation. The angst between the two is gut wrenching. It's compelling. The truth can't be denied. Ennis and Jack are the real thing - they know it, and you know it. There is something in this movie for every viewer. For romance enthusiasts there is the story of Jack and Ennis, of course. But there remains the saga of two other relationships that lead to marriage and children. It's the story of two starkly different women and how they approach their remote husbands. The movie is an epic not much different than Titanic, Casablanca or Gone With the Wind. For the Western enthusiast there's the incredible scenery. The beauty of the American West is delivered brilliantly by Lee's vision. One word describes it - breathtaking. For the macho heterosexual male there's the cowboy events, the fishing, the fighting bears. There's the campfires, the horseback riding, and yep, there's even sex (the straight kind). I know that I have not done justice to this movie. I've found it hard to put into words how the experience affects me. To just call it a gay cowboy movie is to insult everyone involved in bringing this film to life. Heath Ledger's Ennis is someone each of us knows. Ledger pulls from deep in his gut to give us a legitimate sense of the torment Ennis feels. Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack successfully exposes Ennis' kinder, gentler side. Jack is the kind of guy we all fall in love with. His wide-eyed innocence and unconditional love for Ennis breaks the heart. When the movie reaches its poignant climax, you are left drained, astonished, filled with tears and quite possibly changed evermore. Brokeback Mountain is not a gay cowboy movie - it's something much more powerful - it's as real as it gets and will leave you with questions you've possibly never considered. Peter Rainer said it best in his 'Grade A' review in the Christian Science Monitor: "Brokeback Mountain" is a tragedy because these men have found something that many people, of whatever sexual persuasion, never find - true love. And they can't do anything about it. Perhaps Ennis and Jack can't do anything about it. But, my friends, we can. Open your minds. Take a chance. You will experience cinematic genius at its best, and, in the meantime, you may even change your mind about the nature of one of life's most precious gifts - love. ed: JH

The End of Days or A New World?

Silas Kain — Sat, 3 Dec 2005 20:42:32 EST

A post here at Blogcritics entitled Israeli Politics: All the Trash is Jumping into the Same Bin by Ruvy in Jerusalem has caused me to ponder the prospect of the Christian or Hebrew concept of the End of Days. Ruvy writes an interesting piece and I hope you'll take the time to read it. I think that much of what Ruvy discusses may be at the heart of Kabbalah, which I have yet to completely understand. Ruvy's insight in that piece gave me pause causing me to place my thoughts in a companion piece.Interesting information indeed from our friend in Israel. It reminds me of the predictions by St. Malachy concerning the papacy and the Roman Church. Anyone familiar with his legendary predictions will note that this Pope, Benedict XVI is the next to the last Pope. St. Malachy referred to this Pope as "the glory of the olive". While many theologians believe that the prediction refers to a time of peace, some have said that the prediction meant that a Benedictine would rise to the throne of Peter. St. Benedict and his order have been represented by the olive. Ironically, Joseph Ratzinger chose the name Benedict. Was it coincidence? Is he trying to set the stage for the last Pope? Was he consciously fulfilling St. Malachy's vision? I don't think we will ever know for certain.The successor to Benedict XVI is supposed to be Petrus Romanus or Peter of Rome who will lead the Holy Mother Church at the End of Days into the Final Judgment. There have been hundreds of predictions on the End of Days. Christ Himself said that the end would come like a "thief in the night." I'm not going to pretend that I don't believe in the predictions of Armageddon. To be quite honest, I believe anything is possible. It's great advice to live each day as if it were your last - that is how all of us should live regardless of belief system. I believe that we will come to a time where there will be the end to things as we know them. That has happened many times in the evolution of Humankind, we've just failed to acknowledge that simple fact. Just as the Gods of Egypt, Greece and Rome have fallen from the face of the Earth, other beliefs will do the same. Is Evangelization in the Name of Christ the answer? Perhaps it is but I cannot answer that question for I am not God. Are there clairvoyants? I believe that it is possible. I can't dispute that I believe there is an ethereal force that dwells upon, within and around us. I have no scientific proof to back it up, but my heart tells me it is so. If seers like St. Malachy and Nostradamus have looked into the future and have seen the End of Days, is it that the Church will come to an end as they knew it? Or are they actually predicting the complete destruction of Earth? As complicated as the answer may be, the best way to deal with it is to live each day as if it were your last. Live life in a just manner; perform random acts of kindness; have faith in your fellow human being that they will be driven to do right by you as you do by them. All simple, decent, common sense rules to live by. No one agrees on everything - debate is as natural to humanity as reproduction. Ruvy talks about "reality becoming unhinged" - it certainly feels that way. The last 20 years have been incredible in the evolution of mankind. We've seen floods, cataclysms, war and famine. There's a sense of unease that runs through the hearts of millions if not billions of people around the world. But if we are to live the message of Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Christ or Mohammed (PBUH), it would be that kindness and understanding must be our guides. We have this wonderful gift called free will. We've been "endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights." Those wonderful words agreed upon by the Founding Fathers only applied to White people for a good portion of our history. Affording rights to women and non-whites is a relatively new concept that we've failed to completely embrace. In the end (no pun intended), there is a new world coming. It may be by our hand or it may be by Divine Intervention. No matter what, we're all stuck on this ball of rock in the middle of the Cosmos. It's ironic because as I write this comment a song just came on by Cass Elliot. Perhaps there's a message for us all in its words:There's a New World Coming And it's just around the bend There's a new world coming This one's coming to an endThere's a new voice calling You can hear it if you try And it's growing stronger With each day that passes byThere's a brand new morning Rising clear and sweet and free There's a new day dawning That belongs to you and meThere's a new world coming The one we've had visions of Coming in peace, coming in joy, coming in loveLet the flaming begin...