The Unborn [Blu-ray]

Well, once in awhile I try to watch something totally without historical accounts or for that matter much to think about intently; however, in this movie the girls grandmother was one of a set of twins that were tortured in Auschwitz.  These children were known as Mengele's Children.  It does not tell the history or elaborate on this in the movie, but Mengele was the only one of the selector's that would always show up sober on the selector ramp looking for twins or any other geneological trait that was hereditary and not atypical.  In the movie, the grandmother and her brother had been subjected to the eye tests of Mengele's.  What Mengele did was take these wonderful little children and monster that he was one of the test was to see if he could turn their "Beautiful" brown eyes blue!  He would inject different chemicals into their eyes without any anesthesia and it was very painful for the children.  There were many more test that this monster did but this is the test that is focused on in the movie.  Here is a link about the other test done on the children:  http://isurvived.org/2Postings/mengele-AUSCHWITZ.html

The Grandmother also wears "the Hand of Miriam" or the protective hand of God.  This tallisman is said by some to actually predate the Jewish religion while others have claimed that it was brought to the Middle Eastern Countries by the Israelites when they were banished there.  Either way here is a link if you have the desier read all about this talisman:  .http://www.hamsaart.com/chamsa-hand-of-miriam.html  

Well, the movie is definately scary and there is one other historical aspect in the movie that I cannot help bring up and that is the concept of the  Dybbuk.  It is a Jewish concopt of a evil spirit that wanders the gates around heaven looking for someone to come back to earth in their body.  It seems this concept was very well disected by the Mystism Sects of Hungarian Jews.  There is a play about it supposedly and a book was written on it last year.  It is called  Dybbuks and Jewish Women in Social History, Mysticism, and Folklore,  by Rachel Elior and it examines the legend of the dybbuk .  Now I have to get the book. 

In conclusion, I do realize that I did not tell one thing that happens in the movie itself; however, it is a good creepy movie and if you read this posts first you will have some concept of the historical issues that are being brought up in the movie.  There are also, some literary thoughts and cultural ideas going on in this movie by the director whom admitted that the subtext is the idea that Jewish Children that are separated from the Jewish Culture and families at a young age are said to be more succeptible to the "Dybbuk"; moreover, the good news is my father was Jewish and my Mother was Irish Catholic and I have of yet been possessed by a Dybbuk.  LOL but, my husband might disagree at times with that statement. 

News:
OMG Spiderman was arrested!  I love how they're hauling him away in front of kids.

US Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to announce that  Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be transferred from Guantanamo Bay to New York to stand trial.  Welp, this should be a fun news day then shouldn't it?  I can hear it now.  OMFG OBAMA SUPPORTS TERRORISTS!!!  He wants to bring them HERE!!! To let them roam free in your back yard!  Because you know, you good God fearing Americans who work in prisons cannot be trusted to keep them in prison.  You're gonna set them free soon as they get here.  Bunch of traitors.  To be honest, THEY were probably safer in Guantanamo.  But that's not how we're supposed to do things.  Commit a crime and  sooner or later you're supposed to face the justice system.  That's how I learned things.  Of course I learned in public schools.  Friggin socialists!  They probably taught me a lot of bullshit.  Blame my dad. He died young.  Didn't grow up and get rich and send me to a fancy rich private school, so I don't know any better.  Oh someone on Morning Joe already asked why NY?  Erm, where was the main 9/11 attack again?  Dumbasses.  You do usually prosecute where the crime happens.  Should we send them to Iowa courts instead? Not to mention NY courts are some of the biggest in the country.  They handle big cases.  They have big security. 

Books: 
Finished reading Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel 4/5 stars.  I'm really generous with my stars, if it entertains me and I could read it again it's usually 5.  But I just couldn't do it.  Teetered between 4 and 5.  Something was just not 100% on this one.  I suspect the next in the series will make it to 5.  It's entertaining alright.  I think it was because a few of the characters that we should have better met, we didn't.  A few we didn't need to meet so well, we did.  Stuff like okay so you were basically totally healed with magic right?  But... in the next fight the wound was re-opened?  Wait didn't we make a huge deal over how big of a deal it was that they went to that person to heal you?  How potent that magic was?  Otherwise, I loved it. 

Now onto Grave Secret (Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 4).  I decided on it next since it's a series I'm already well into.  Saving Fire and Graceling to read together.

Keegan:
He's so cute.  Back when he did the MS walk, I left him a thank you.  He must have just gotten around to logging into his MySpace.  I just got this message today - "YOUR WELCOME IT HURTS YOUR LEGS BUT YOUR WORTH IT BECAUSE YOUR A FAMILY MEMBER THATS WHY I DO IT EVERY YEAR."

This from the preceding post:

And Dr Collins sees no problem with where aliens might fit in with the belief that man was created in God's image.

"Every creature reflects the goodness and the creativity of God. Humankind, we certainly would argue that we represent that most fully and most completely," he said.

"But all of creation represents God's creativity. So any extraterrestrial being would certainly represent that creativity as well and may be or may not be more developed than we are."

I've long thought that humans make a fundamental mistake in that they arrogantly assume that the universe is all about us. That is why stupid statements like the above are made. We see God as some super human who created a stupendous universe for us to run around sinning in. And, what's more, we are supposedly made in God's image. All the other creatures on this Earth apparently weren't. Only us. Yeah, right. God must be delighted with that one. Think Hitler.

We weren't even around for most of the Earth's history. The first life appeared 4,000 million years ago. Something resembling us (and supposedly God) appeared on the scene 60 thousand years ago. Why did God take so long you may ask? And just when did we acquire a soul? One would think such questions could be easily answered by the men who point to a book written 2,000 years ago for answers. Of course they can't. So I do wonder why they pontificate at such length with such inane garbage that can be easily disproved by anyone who cares to exercise a few brain cells.

Do they really think we're that stupid? Apparently so. I think I need another drink. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/13/2742484.htm?section=justin

Alien life is possible: Vatican

By Barney Porter for The World Today

Posted 1 hour 35 minutes ago

The Pope's chief astronomer has conceded other intelligent beings could exist in outer space.

The conclusion has been drawn by scientific experts called in by the Vatican to study the possibility of extraterrestrial life and its implications for the Church.

It has been four centuries since the Catholic Church locked up Galileo for challenging the belief that the Earth was at the centre of the universe.

The Vatican's five-day conference attracted 30 astronomers, physicists and biologists, including non-Catholics.

It was led by Jesuit priest Father Jose Gabriel Funes, an astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory.

Father Funes says the possibility of alien life raises "many philosophical and theological implications" but that the gathering was mainly focused on the scientific perspective.

One of the organisers was Chris Impey, a professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona.

He says the aim was to assess the most recent research in the burgeoning field of astrobiology - the study of life in the universe.

"And also getting a sense of when you know the vital breakthrough is going to be made, which is the discovery of life elsewhere," he said.

"Because even though we're looking hard we still only know one planet anywhere with life and that's this one."

Breakthrough coming soon

He says that major breakthrough may be just around the corner.

"If you were going to take a set of bets of the 30 scientists gathered for that meeting, I think most of them would have said on about a time scale of 10 years maybe," he said.

That's a guess from the scientists involved and it could come from either of two directions - it could come from a planetary mission within the solar system that looks at one of the most hospitable places for life nearby which is probably Titan, Europa or Mars.

"Or it could come from telescopic observations of planets that we're finding in increasing numbers around distant stars."

But before one starts looking at the concept through Hollywood eyes, professor Impey has another observation.

"I think there's a big distinction between the finding of microbial life, bacteria or something like that which is actually the most likely form of life to discover initially, and intelligent life - sentient beings with technology, and that's a different strategy," he said.

"So I think on the former, on microbial life it's not likely to challenge the world's major religions - but if we find creatures that rival us or exceed us in intelligence, then I think that's going to be very interesting."

Church's positive response

But perhaps not too interesting, according to Dr Paul Collins, a former priest and now Church historian and Catholic commentator.

He says a belief in extraterrestrial life does not necessarily contradict any basic tenets of the Catholic religion.

"I would think that our response would be a positive one," he said.

"I'm not infallible on this of course, but the reality is that I don't think it does contradict anything within Catholicism.

"Essentially what the Christian faith generally is saying and certainly Catholicism specifically is saying is that God is the ultimate source of life, the ultimate source of reality."

The views of the Catholic Church have shifted radically since the Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1600 for speculating other worlds could be inhabited.

The Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between religion and science and today senior clergy openly endorse scientific ideas such as the big bang theory and evolution.

And Dr Collins sees no problem with where aliens might fit in with the belief that man was created in God's image.

"Every creature reflects the goodness and the creativity of God. Humankind, we certainly would argue that we represent that most fully and most completely," he said.

"But all of creation represents God's creativity. So any extraterrestrial being would certainly represent that creativity as well and may be or may not be more developed than we are."

..

The Gold Standard and the Great Depression

by Robert P. Murphy 10/30/2009

Paul Krugman has concentrated his fire recently on those "thumping their chests" over the falling dollar. He has particular scorn for those recommending a return to the gold standard. In Krugman's view, a simple look at the historical facts will show that it was a superstitious fetish for the yellow metal that prolonged the Great Depression.

A careful, comprehensive response to Krugman's charges would involve an explanation of the classical gold standard, and the wonderful peace and prosperity it showered on the world. It was only after the major countries abandoned gold during World War I that major imbalances in international trade began to fester — imbalances that eventually exploded during the early 1930s.[1] As a good capitalist pig, I point the reader to my book on the Depression for the full story.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gallup’s Conservatives and Libertarians Posted by David Boaz

In today’s Washington Post, William Kristol exults:

 The Gallup poll released Monday shows the public’s conservatism at a high-water mark. Some 40 percent of Americans call themselves conservative, compared with 36 percent who self-describe as moderates and 20 percent as liberals.

 Gallup often asks people how they describe themselves. But sometimes they classify people according to the values they express. And when they do that, they find a healthy percentage of libertarians, as well as an unfortunate number of big-government “populists.”

 For more than a dozen years now, the Gallup Poll has been using two questions to categorize respondents by ideology:

 Some people think the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses. Others think that government should do more to solve our country’s problems. Which comes closer to your own view?

Some people think the government should promote traditional values in our society. Others think the government should not favor any particular set of values. Which comes closer to your own view?

 Combining the responses to those two questions, Gallup found the ideological breakdown of the public shown below. With these two broad questions, Gallup consistently finds about 20 percent of respondents to be libertarian. And note here: If you tell people that “libertarian” means “fiscally conservative and socially liberal,” 44 percent will accept the label. Read More http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/10/27/gallups-conservatives-and-libertarians/

Submitted by Chuck McGlawn

______________________________________________________________________________________

The Health Insurance Industry Helps Cause Its Own Demise by Ronald Bailey

The truth is that [health insurance] companies don’t want competition; they want government guaranteed profits. Mesmerized by the prospect that an individual insurance mandate would provide them with tens of millions of new government-subsidized customers, private health insurers have allowed themselves to be maneuvered into an inexorable process that will lead to their destruction...health insurers are about to experience public sector discipline with a vengeance. Make no mistake about it: The government-run public insurance option will eventually out-compete private health insurers by means of the simple expedient of Medicare-style price controls on physicians and hospitals. Under the  guise of advocating choice and competition, the Obama administration and congressional Democrats are, in reality, pushing the country  inevitably toward a single payer government health insurance scheme. The result will be rationed patient care and drastically slowed medical innovation. Now that’s tragic. Read More at http://reason.com/archives/2009/10/27/the-tragedy-of-health-insuranc

Read even more at Jacob Sullum: Insurance Mandates Will Fuel Health Care Inflation
and Steve Chapman: The Unhealthy Public Option

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let the dollar prove itself By Ron Paul, 10/30/09

Recent polls have shown that more than 75 percent of Americans support efforts to audit the Fed, something which my bill, HR 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, aims to do. HR 1207 has the support of 304 members of Congress, and the Senate version of the bill, S. 604, is supported by 31 U.S. senators. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has embarked on an ambitious program of monetary expansion, more than doubling the monetary base to almost $1.9 trillion and doubling the size of its balance sheet to over $2 trillion, placing the American economy in a precarious position.

If all this excess money begins to be loaned out, the Fed risks creating a hyperinflationary crisis similar to 1920s Germany. If the Fed contracts this money, it risks harming the banks it desperately wants to see bailed out. Read more at http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/30/ron.paul.fed/index.html

______________________________________________________________________________________

This is not the end it is The Beginning     

  Fourth Year, Issue 252

 Managing Editor 

Chuck McGlawn contact chuckest@aol.com

Contributing Editors

Walter Clark/Paula Clark

Dan Fernandes

Paul Blumstein