Rhino's Blog : Political activism, commentary & satire from a 5th generation San Franciscan,
                                    filmmaker, father, paramedic, and Indigenous rights activist
Updated: 3/4/06; 2:56:42 PM.

 

















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Monday, December 19, 2005


THE HOLY DAY QUOTE:
"Who would Jesus bomb?"
- - An early 21st century bumper sticker


THE HISTORY:
December 21st, Winter Solstace, 1996
-- After two years of denials, House Speaker Republican Newt Gingrich admitted violating House ethics rules.
Dec 24th, Christmas Eve, 1914 -- Wilderness advocate John Muir dies, Los Angeles, California.
December 25th, Christmas Day, 1946 -- First of several years of White House Christmas demonstrations seeking amnesty for conscientious objectors (COs) convicted for refusing to fight in World War II.
December 31st, New Years Eve, 1970 -- The U.S. Congress repeals the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, thus finally fessing up to having been hoodwinked by a pack of lies the US military, NSA & the government had used to convince them to support the war in Viet Nam. Well over 100,000 Americans dead. Rhino sez, "Those who don't know their history are likely to repeat their dumbest mistakes."
January 1st, New Years Day, 1960 -- The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, plays San Quentin Prison, the first of many concerts he will perform for to prison inmates.


HOLIDAY SEASON INSIGHT:
According to the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-december. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a female.

We should have known. Only women, while pregnant, would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night, not get lost, meet an impossible deadline, and do it all out of good will.


RHINO HERE:
The Rhino's understanding of the holidays that fall at the end of our calendar year, is that they are meant to encourage & inspire people to be good to one another. Falling near the Winter Equinox, December 21st, the shortest day and longest night of the year, the time when nature provides us the least amount of sunlight and edible harvest, the religious celebrations offered by so many of the world's wisdom traditions teach us to make up for the decrease in Nature's gifts by giving goodwill & love to each other.

In this stretch of history, when a gang of neo-robber barons have been so successful in their efforts to blatantly steal from so many, give to so few, and be so uncaring as to how many may suffer and die as a result, it is that much more important for those who still believe in the power of love over the power of money, to reach out and offer some warmth & nurturing to our friends, relatives and fellow inhabitants of this flying rock we call Earth.

So in that spirit, The Rhino wishes each & every one of you some special peace this holiday season. May your gatherings of family & friends be meaningful & fun, and may your endeavors in the coming year in behalf of goodwill toward mankind be successful.

With the following excerpts and links, I want to call your attention to a few lights on the political horizon, and a short piece by me on the now annual controversy of people saying the words, "Seasons Greetings." With that, I say, "Have a happy holidaze."

(o/)
(o/)(o/)


First, the beloved, fearless Senator Russ Feingold fights for America and wins a significant battle against the shrub gang.

Feingold Beats Bush In Patriot Act Fight
by John Nichols, The Nation, Posted 12/16/2005

Four years ago, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold distinguished himself as the Senate's premier defender of the Constitution, when he cast the chamber's sole vote against enactment of the Patriot Act. As a time when every other senator -- even liberal Democrats with long records of championing the Bill of Rights -- joined the post-September 11 rush to curtail basic liberties, Feingold stood alone in defense of the principle that it was possible to combat terrorism and protect the rights of Americans. But Feingold no longer stands alone. On Friday, he led a bipartisan group of senators that successfully blocked the administration's concerted effort to renew the Patriot Act in a form that maintains its most abusive components...
MORE AT: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=43115

Senator Feingold's remarks from the U.S. Senate Floor
Ending Debate on Reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act
Commondreams, Friday, December 16, 2005

Mr. President, on Wednesday evening, I laid out in detail my concerns about the Patriot Act reauthorization bill that we are now considering on the floor. In its current form, I cannot support the conference report, and I cannot consent to limit debate on it. The leaders of this Congress need to figure out a way to change this report to address the important civil liberties issues that I and other Senators from both sides of the aisle have discussed over the past three days...

MORE: http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1216-29.htm

(o/)
(o/)(o/)


Here's a link to a page at Indianz.com which contains a list of links to articles following the Jack Abramoff/Tom Delay ripoffs. No wonder that in a recent interview with Faux News, the shrub stood strong for his fellow neo robber baron cronies.

Bush seeks to link Jack Abramoff to Democrats
Thursday, December 15, 2005

President Bush defended the Republican Party on Wednesday amid a series of corruption scandals in Washington, D.C., attempting to link disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to Democrats. In an interview with Fox News, Bush made his first public comments about Abramoff, a Republican insider who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the party. Although the president said he was "not all that familiar with a lot that's going on up there on Capitol Hill," he charged that Abramoff spread the money around in Washington...

CHECK OUT THE EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF LINKS AT:
http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/011736.asp

(o/)
(o/)(o/)


The recent hubbub kicked up by the award winning liar, Bill O'Reilly, over what he calls the secularization of Christmas reminded me of remarks by the unindicted traitor, Robert Novak just one year ago. At that time, I wrote a short piece which I republish here now. Enjoy.

What does saying Season's Greeting really mean?
by Gary Rhine, Originally Blogged on December 27, 2004

Robert Novak sez, "What does saying 'Season's Greeting' really mean? ...But Merry Christmas, that's what it means, (you idiots!)" A simple minded WASP is he. Forgive him, he knows not what he is, nor who Jesus was.

Nor does Rummie, Georgie or Dick know Jesus, ...who, lest we forget, said, "Prophets of old said, 'Thou Shalt Not Kill,' ...But I Say Unto You, Thou Shalt Not Be Angry With Thy Brother ...For It Is The Same Thing."

What does saying Season's Greeting really mean? Rhino sez it means, "When the going gets rough, I'd give mine for you." That's what the J man was all about, right? Some then twist that into, "Support Our Troops." Extreme gall to use his sacrifice to justify their oily war.

What does saying Season's Greeting really mean? When the night is longest, the sun is farthest, and the earth the barest, I'll be there with a bottle of wine, a basket of fruit, a flashlight, or if need be, just me, by your side.

Happy Chronica!

Love, Rhino

-=+=-=+=-



Rhino's Blog is the responsibility of Gary Rhine.
Feedback & requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged.
(rhino@kifaru.com)
See The Latest Greatest Political Cartoons
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Rhino's Other Web Sites:
http://www.dreamcatchers.org (Indigenous Assistance & Intercultural Dialog)
http://www.kifaru.com (Native American Relations Video Documentaries)


Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
All copyrights belong to original publisher.

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RHINOS:
African Wildlife Federation
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National Geographic Creature Feature - Black Rhinos
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Wildlife Conservation Network
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AIKIDS
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Arianna Online
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Tikkun.org
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Alternative Health and Spiritual Directory
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Institute for Cooperation in Space
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Kevin Sites blog
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The Agonist
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CODE PINK for Peace
Global Exchange
More Than Warmth
National Organization For Women
Peace Action
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United for Peace & Justice
Unreasonable Women
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

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