Dear Folks,
My neighbour, and fellow songwriter, Bryony, brought me back a fantastic little glitter dome from the Woodford Folk Festival. A miniature Sydney Opera House - a simple enough tacky tourist memento - except for the wonderful fact that someone had disassembled it, written the words, 'No War,' in red on the topmost little sail, and put it back together again!
Background: On 18th March, 2003, Dave Burgess and Will Saunder climbed to the top of the highest sail of the Sydney Opera House and painted No War in bright red paving paint. They were quickly arrested and charged with malicious damage and willfully marking a building with chalk, paint, etc. At their trial, they were prevented from presenting their defence, that their actions were a desperate attempt to prevent a misguided and illegal invasion. They were convicted of the charge of malicious damage. The final bill presented by the Opera House to clean off the paint was $151,000, and this amount was awarded against them as a compensation order. They have appealed the conviction, the denial of parole, and the size of the compensation order. The appeal was heard in July 2004 and they are still (as of Dec 2004) awaiting the ruling.
These little decontructed opera house glitter domes are available from Dave and Will's WEBSITE to help raise funds for their legal defense.
Favourite Reader Comments of the Week
g'day Joe,
I've made a new years resolution not to use 'Hi' ever again. It's
un-Australian. Hope you're well. We had a good Xmas and New Year,
very quiet, as befits people of our age and questionable social
standing. . . I do appreciate and look forward to your newsletter.
Love the recipes, but the Resident Censor won't let me
try them. I hope it's OK with you, but I've forwarded your newsletter
to friends and family, who, I believe should be exposed to your
wisdom and insight.
Here's a little one for you.
" They do not gondle up in Bourke, in North West New South
Wales,
And if anybody says they do, they've had to many ales.
But IF you lived in Venice, your could say without a fear,
"They do not gondle up in Bourke, BUT they gondlier."
All the best for 2005. Blue
(Note: Dear Resident Censor, why don't you let the poor man eat? 'Blue the Shearer' writes a weekly rime and if you want to get on his list, send him an email (or a fe-mail) to: blushear@well-com.net.au)
Joe,
I love your newsletter and have been enjoying it for quite some
time now - it really is a mix of all things. I followed the link
from the Royal Rife story and am a little worried that you would
pass on that story. I dont know if you have read the ARTICLE
or even if you intended that to be taken seriously
or just as a conspiracy laugh. It was interesting at first but
is at best entertainment. The claims made in there concerning
all human cancers to be caused by a virus are incredibly insulting
to the thousands of people who have spent their lives doing real
research into the real causes. As someone who has been involved
(albeit in a minor way) in the field of medical research for some
years I have seen firsthand the dedication and commitment shown
by these individuals who dedicate themselves to actually improving
lives. I hope this hasn't been too much of a rant but I felt the
need to comment on that as you have always shown the highest levels
of integrity and concern for you fellow humans. Thanks again for
all of your hard work. Zachary
(Note: Zachary, Thanks for your comments and concern. I took it to heart and promptly reread the entire article and went searching on the internet. Reason being, the more I read, the more I saw some similarities between Royal Rife and Australian Doctor John Holt, who has been receiving quite a bit mainstream media attention here of late. Dr Holt has been successfully treating cancer with the use of ultra high frequency waves. Regards, Joe. DR HOLT WEBSITE
Here's a link to the RIFE
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CONFERENCE 2004, in Seattle,
Washington, whose speakers included Dr. Richard Loyd, Ph.D. in
Nutrition, Professor Martin Blank, of the Dept. of Physiology
and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University Medical School
in New York, Dr. Carl Taylor, M.D. with degrees in both engineering
and medicine, Dr. Hulda Clark, PhD, with a degree in physiology,
Dr. Nenah Sylver, PhD, in psychology and holistic health, Dr.
Steven Haltiwanger, M.D., degrees in both Science and in Medicine,
Dr. Henry Lai, PhD, Research Professor of BioEngineering at the
University of Washington, and, what-do-you-know! - The
Work of Dr. John Holt of Australia, presented by Peter Walker.
THE DIVERSITY OF NATURAL CANCER CURES
An amazing multitude of different cancer cures have been described
in books and articles. Former cancer victims have written about
their recovery, which often involved nothing more than living
peacefully on an organic raw-food diet. Others attribute their
cure to immune-enhancing factors, alternative technology or meditation
and guided imagery, sometimes to specific remedies, but commonly
in various combinations of any of these methods. There are so
many combinations and variations; the list seems to be endless.
Here's a COMPENDIUM.
Regarding Allen Trachsel's Company Directive
I had several enquiries and comments about Allen Trachsel's COMPANY DIRECTIVE that I reproduced last week.
For a little more background on who Allen Trachsel was, I have also included a link to a page I've set up for any Testimonials and Recollections of Allen that anyone who knew him might want to send me and I'll add your comments to the page whenever I can. (Hey, I just noticed that Alan, like Dorthy, hailed from Kansas.)
Allen Trachsel was from Goodland, Kansas, the very centre of
America, from a family of wheat farmers who tilled the soil in
ways any good organic farmer would approve of around the turn
of the century. He travelled far from his family and landed
in the early 1960's in Adelaide where he became fast friends with
2 others, he was to start the Pancake Parlour Restaurant group
with, in 1965. Humour was a common bond between the three
and the qualities Allen adhered to, in his "On a good Day"
policy, were to be followed through in all his dealings. He
consistently applied these principles. So much so, that
I feel the staff that start work for the Pancake Parlour Group
often can't quite believe the pervasiveness of these ideas and
are genuinely taken by the atmosphere of working for the company.
I feel that is a true testament to an individual's achievement
when a group survives the vagaries of various personalities to
still maintain with the feel of the original intention. The result
is a company that has staff loyalty that stretches 4 decades,
with several staff still with us since the day we opened in 1965,
and many still here from their first foray into the workforce.
Hospitality is not known for its high pay but the well-being
remuneration is obviously large enough to have kept many staff
past their own expectations and finds them sorely torn when a
decision to leave arises. (thanks to Samantha
Meadmore)
Art is in the (fill in the blank) of the Beholder
A couple attending an art exhibition at the National Gallery
were staring at a portrait that had them totally confused. The
painting depicted three black men totally naked, sitting on a
park bench. Two of the men had black penises, but the one seated
in the middle had a pink penis. The curator of the gallery realized
the confused couple were having trouble with interpreting the
painting and offered his assessment. He went on and on for nearly
half an hour explaining how it depicted the sexual emasculation
of African-Americans in a predominantly white, patriarchal society.
"In fact", he pointed out, "some serious critics
believe that the pink penis also reflects the cultural and sociological
oppression expressed by gay men in a contemporary society".
After the curator left, an Irish man approached the couple and
said, "Would you like to know what the painting is really
about?"
"Now why would you claim to be more of an expert than the
curator of the Gallery?" asked the couple.
"Because I'm the guy who painted it," he replied. "In
fact, there is no African-American representation at all. They're
just three Irish coal-miners. The guy in the middle went home
for lunch."
(thanks to Joe Creighton)
Teflon
I don't know about you, but I have
always been suspicious of teflon, especially after you've had
a frying pan coated with the stuff for a few years and you begin
to notice bits of it flaking off.
U.S. Officials Accuse DuPont of Concealing Teflon Ingredient's
Health Risk
By Michael Hawthorne
PARKERSBURG, W. Va. - More than 50 years after DuPont started producing Teflon near this Ohio River town, federal officials are accusing the company of hiding information suggesting that a chemical used to make the popular stick- and stain-resistant coating might cause cancer, birth defects and other ailments. Environmental regulators are particularly alarmed because scientists are finding perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, in the blood of people worldwide and it takes years for the chemical to leave the body. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported last week that exposure even to low levels of PFOA could be harmful. With virtually no government oversight, PFOA has been used since the early 1950s in the manufacture of non-stick cookware, rain-repellent clothing and hundreds of other products. (article)
WILL THE REAL DUMMIES PLEASE STAND UP?
1. WILL THE REAL DUMMY PLEASE STAND UP? AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked intellectual leadership. He received a $26 million severance package. Perhaps it's not Walter who's lacking intelligence.
2. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: Police in Oakland, CA spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home. After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them in the police line, shouting, "Please come out and give yourself up."
3. WHAT WAS PLAN B??? An Illinois man, pretending to have a gun, kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different automated teller machines, wherein the kidnapper proceeded to withdraw money from his own bank accounts.
4. THE GETAWAY! A man walked into a Topeka, Kansas Kwik Stop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the take was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours until police showed up and grabbed him.
5. DID I SAY THAT??? Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a line-up. When detectives asked each man in the line-up to repeat the words: "Give me all your money or I'll shoot", the man shouted, "that's not what I said!".
6. ARE WE COMMUNICATING??? A man spoke frantically into the phone: "My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart". "Is this her first child?" the doctor asked. "No!" the man shouted, "This is her husband!"
7. NOT THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED! In Modesto, CA, Steven Richard King was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank of America branch without a weapon. King used a thumb and a finger to simulate a gun. Unfortunately, he failed to keep his hand in his pocket. (hellooooooo?)
8. THE GRAND FINALE!!! Last summer, down on Lake Isabella,
located in the high desert, an hour east of Bakersfield, CA, some
folks, new to boating, were having a problem. No matter how hard
they tried, they couldn't get their brand new 22 foot boat, going.
It was very sluggish in almost every manoeuvre, no matter how
much power they applied. After about an hour of trying to make
it go, they putted into a nearby marina, thinking someone there
may be able to tell them what was wrong. A thorough topside check
revealed everything in perfect working condition. The engine ran
fine, the out-drive went up and down, and the propeller was the
correct size and pitch. So, one of the marina guys jumped in the
water to check underneath. He came up choking on water, he was
laughing so hard. (NOW REMEMBER...THIS IS TRUE.)
Under the boat, still strapped securely in place, was
the trailer!
(thanks to Jim Testa)
Yellowstone Kills Solitary Buffalo
Gardiner, MT - A lone female buffalo was shot dead in Yellowstone
National Park by the National Park Service, near Gardiner, Montana.
The buffalo had migrated onto the Royal Teton Ranch (RTR), owned
by the Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT). In 1998 the American
people spent 13 million tax dollars to purchase 6,770 acres of
Church land, and to provide for a conservation easement for buffalo
and elk habitat on an additional 1,508 acres. (more)
(So who are these religious fanatics?)
Church Universal and Triumphant
In the early 1990's, Elizabeth Clare Prophet traveled the
U.S. delivering groundbreaking lectures on angels, the mystical
paths, the gospel of Thomas. ( No room, obviously,
for buffalo ca-ca on those mystical groundbroken paths.)
CUT Website
Inerrancy
Inerrancy refers to text considered accurate, truthful, reliable, totally free of error, without mistake and absolutely authoritative. Some Christians apply the term to all statements of fact in the Bible, including those referring to "scientific, historical, or geographical" topics. Other Christians restrict the term only to refer only to moral, spiritual and religious truth in the Bible. Inerrancy is a major part of the belief of conservative Christians.
Liberal theologians generally approach the Bible as a series of historical documents written by very human authors who were trying to promote their own group's spiritual and theological beliefs. [They] believe that, like any other religious book, it contains factual errors, distortions, religious propaganda, and exaggerations. Description, Prblems & Implications of Inerrancy
Comparison Chart of the Gospel Authors
When were the four gospels written?
MARK: Approximate date 70 A.D.
MATTHEW: Approximate date 80 A.D.
LUKE: Approximate date 90 A.D.
JOHN: Approximate date 90 A.D. (insertions and additions 100-150
A.D.)
How heavily did Matthew and Luke lean on Mark for their
source material?
Mark has 661 verses.
Matthew has 1068 verses but used 606 of Mark's verses and condensed
them to 500 for use in his gospel.
Luke has 1149 verses, 320 based on Mark. Luke has 53% of Mark's
actual words.
John's gospel did not use material from any of the other three
synoptic authors.
In what major ways does Jesus, as pictured by the synoptic
authors, differ from how he is shown in John?
SYNOPTICS - [Mark Matthew Luke]
Jesus teaches in parables.
Jesus performs exorcisms.
Jesus associates with outcasts.
The word pistis is used a lot but the connotation is trust.
Jesus has little to say about himself.
JOHN
Jesus does not teach in parables
Jesus does not perform exorcisms.
Jesus does not associate with outcasts.
The word pistis is used a lot but the connotation is belief.
Jesus constantly talks about himself, his relation with the father
and his mission.
FULL
COMPARISON CHART
The Six 'Clobber Passages'
' These are the six verses in the Bible (we're told) where God condemns homosexuality in no uncertain terms. I have read my Bible, and I've paid close attention to those "clobber passages." So have many Bible scholars. All agree that nowhere in the Bible are same-sex relationships condemned. It's just not there. Explore the six 'clobbers passages' and their refutations
Humour
Don't Step On The Ducks
Three guys die together in an accident and go to heaven. When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven ... don't step on the ducks."
So, they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first guy accidentally steps on one.
Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest woman he ever saw. St. Peter chains them together and says "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly woman!"
The next day, the second guy steps accidentally on a duck, and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing, and with him is another extremely ugly woman. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first guy.
The third guy has observed all this and not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly woman, is very, VERY careful where he steps. He manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, and one day St. Peter comes up to him with the most gorgeous woman he has ever laid eyes on ... a very tall, tan, curvaceous, sexy blonde.
St. Peter chains them together without saying a word. The guy remarks, "I wonder what I did right to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?"
She says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck." (quack quack!)
Martin Luther King Jr: More Than a Dreamer
By Paul Rockwell
Dr. Martin Luther King's oft-quoted "I have a dream" speech was not about far-off visions, it was a call to action. Every year, millions of Americans pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. We often forget, however, that King was the object of derision when he was alive. At key moments in his quest for civil rights and world peace, the corporate media treated King with hostility. Dr. King's march for open housing in Chicago, when the civil rights movement entered the North, caused a negative, you've-gone-too-far reaction in the Northern press. And Dr. King's stand on peace and international law, especially his support for the self-determination of third world peoples, caused an outcry and backlash in the predominantly white press. In his prophetic anti-war speech at Riverside Church in 1967 (recorded and filmed for posterity but rarely quoted in today's press), King emphasised four points:
1) that American militarism would destroy the war on poverty;
2) that American jingoism breeds violence, despair, and contempt
for law within the United States;
3) the use of people of colour to fight against people of colour
abroad is a "cruel manipulation of the poor";
4) human rights should be measured by one yardstick everywhere.
The Washington Post denounced King's anti-war position, and said King was "irresponsible." In an editorial entitled "Dr. King's error," The New York Times chastised King for going beyond the allotted domain of black leaders - civil rights. TIME called King's anti-war stand "demagogic slander ... a script for Radio Hanoi." The media responses to Dr. King's calls for peace were so venomous that King's two recent biographers - Stephen Oates and David Garrow - devoted whole chapters to the media blitz against King's internationalism. Article)
Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence
SPEECH
delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April
4, 1967, at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside
Church in New York City. (still relevant)
BUILD THE DREAM WEBSITE
Marchin' With Martin Luther King Jr (song)
LYRICS
Audio Track: REALPLAYER
or .MP3
Coretta (song)
LYRICS
ONLY
There is a fifth realm beyond known reality. It is a realm as vast as space and timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground of haze and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies at the pit of man's fears. This is the realm of the unimaginable. It is an area we call "The Bush Zone."
Meet Mr. and Mrs. America, faithful believers in the one true nation. They arise each morning and stand before the mirror reciting their daily mantra: "It's a grand old flag! Leader of the free world! We're no. 1!" Their iconic reflection smiles back, a warm and homemade apple pie image of the best of everything, the best medical care, the most powerful military, and the best political system of any country in the world. The mirror never lies.
But this morning, Mr. And Mrs. America, discover a warped mirror that casts a disturbing and twisted funhouse reflection of their former selves. Daily slogans are powerless against this distorted likeness, and all that they once held sacred now ripples across the glass in a deformed and misshapen wave of elongated ugliness. Mr. And Mrs. America just stepped through the looking glass and into the Bush Zone.
Submitted for your consideration: citizens of the wealthiest country in the world seek salvation via the free-market system. They organise bake sales and eBay auctions to raise money for medical therapy not covered by their profit-driven corporate HMOs, only to discover that some of that money is also needed to purchase body armour the Pentagon failed to provide to their sons and daughters in Iraq. War is never cheap, but always profitable in the Bush Zone. (full script)
HUMOUR
Mickey and Minnie Marital Problems
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were in divorce court, when the
judge said to Mickey, "You say here that your wife is crazy".
"No I didn't," objected Mickey. "I said she was
fucking Goofy."
(thanks to joe creighton)
Recipe
Here's one of my grandma's recipes as remembered by my sister Kathy:
" Grandma used to take a slab of ribs and make stuffing, stuff the slab and fold it over and bake. When she sliced it, the rib had stuffing on it. Just take a slab of ribs and season it with fresh garlic, pepper, rosemary or thyme. Make a bread stuffing with onion, garlic, sautéed celery, seasonings. Take olive oil and brush it on both sides of the ribs. Bake at 325 degrees - (use the slabs with more meat. Not the thick country ones) It's almost like a pork roast. You make gravy and serve them with mashed potatoes. "