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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
-=+=-=+=-
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Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law.
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All copyrights belong to original publisher.
9:18:02 AM
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© Copyright 2006 Gary Rhine.
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