How the Mighty Fall

Just when you thought that Mark Foley was the worst thing that could happen to the Republicans before the mid-term elections, two more prominent figures are disgraced.

Bob Ney (R-OH) is finally convinced that he should resign from Congress. He sent the letter of resignation to the House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Friday Nov 3 2006, four days before the elections. Ney had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements on Oct 13 2006. He was implicated in the Jack Abramoff scandal and admitted to receiving money and gifts from Abramoff and in return provided political favors to Abramoff's clients. Just like Mark Foley, he blamed all his troubles on alcoholism and checked himself into a "program". Before his fall from grace Bob Ney was the House Administration chairman and earned the nickname "Mayor of Capitol Hill". He is to be sentenced in January 2007 and faces a possible 10 years in prison.

The Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and head of the New Life Church, resigned Thursday Nov 2 2006. He was accused of using drugs and having a homosexual relationship with Mike Jones, a gay bodybuilder from Denver, over a three year period. It was Jones who broke the story to a radio station, saying he was angry over Haggard's open and vocal opposition to gay marriage and homosexuals. Haggard was influential both on Capitol Hill and with the White House.
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SDhLg0_C20"]

Sex, Sex, Sex

I came across three sex-related articles that seem to contradict common beliefs or at the very least make you go:

Hmmmmmmmm!?!

1. Woman Can't Say No After Sex Starts

An appellate court said Maryland's rape law is clear -- no doesn't mean no when it follows a yes and intercourse has begun.

2. Internet Porn prevents Rape

Apparently since Porn is so easily available on the Web, it tends to reduce the incidence of rape by measurable levels:

10% increase in Net access = 7.3% decrease in Reported Rape

3. Busting some Sexual Behavior Myths

• People aren't having sex at younger ages


• Married people have the most sex


• No firm link between promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases

Just when you think youv'e seen it all, something new pops up!

Michael J Fox vs Rush Limbaugh

Michael J Fox has Parkinson's disease. This is a fact that has been known for quite some time. Michael has also been supporting political candidates (mostly Democratic) who have spoken out in favor of stem cell research, which holds great promise in finding an effective cure for Parkinson's disease and a host of other diseases.

He appeared in a political commercial for a candidate in Missouri, giving his support to her because of her stand on stem cell research. In the commercial he exhibited the most visible signs of the disease, namely uncontrollable shaking.

Rush Limbaugh, a radio talk show host, known for his conservative views, accused Michael of either acting (because of his pronounced involuntary movements) or neglecting to take his medication before taping the commercial. This accusation of course prompted a denial response from Michael J Fox. The sequence of events is portrayed in the video clip below:

[youtube="http://youtube.com/watch?v=XCa4-vGQQLs&mode=related&search="]

Stem Cell research is a hot political topic. President Bush authorized only limited federally sponsored research using existing stem cell lines. Opponents, convinced of the potential to cure numerous diseases, have advocated for greater government involvement in funding and the relaxation of rules restricting research in this area. For more information on this topic, check out the links below:

• What are Stem Cells?


• Glossary of Terms


• Stem Cell Research Foundation


• Center for Bioethics Human Dignity


• Discussions of the Issues Involved

Viedamour, who also suffers from Parkinson's disease, made this two-part video in response to the Michael J Fox controversy:

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdA19lj8XpA"]
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWiOZ50fOWo"]

World Religions - Buddhism

The following was an article written by Charith Jayasinghe, a Buddhist. His eloquence and sincerity shine throughout this piece. Visit his column at Newsvine

Why I Love Being a Buddhist

A statue of Lord Buddha in Mihintale, Sri Lanka.

Buddhism is probably the only religion that I personally could follow. This is probably because Buddhism is more of a philosophy really than a religion. It does not deal with the unexplainable, such as origins. It doesn’t contradict anything in the modern world. It is open to interpretation. All it does is provide guidelines for living a peaceful life. Basically, I love being a Buddhist.

Since the only thing most of my American friends know about Buddhists is that they meditate, let’s start with some brief history. Sidhartha Gautama was an Indian prince born around 563 BC in present day Lumbini, Nepal. The prince spent most of his early life in luxury, sheltered from the real world. Legend has it that when Sidhartha happened to see a sick, dying old man on the street he decided to leave his sheltered life and learn about the world around him. He left his palace and traveled, learning from several monks. In an attempt to understand the world better, Sidhartha decided to fast and do nothing but meditate. Well, as most of us know, you can’t really think on an empty stomach, and this method failed Sidhartha. Seeing as that both the luxurious life and the starved life had left him without enlightenment, Sidhartha had come to the conclusion that one should live a life of moderation, saying that one should follow the Middle Path, which states that one should avoid extremes, whether they be of pleasing oneself or depriving oneself, and should live life moderately. It is through this path that Sidhartha achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree . There are currently two main branches of Buddhism, Therevada and Mahayana. Theravada more directly follows the original teachings of Lord Buddha, while Mahayana differs slightly in certain areas and has certain different philosophies.

Buddhism teaches what is known as the *Noble Eightfold Path*.

1. Right Understanding - Understand what is right.


2. Right Thought - Think right thoughts.


3. Right Speech - Say right things.


4. Right Action - Do right actions.


5. Right Livelihood - Live right.


6. Right Effort - Make an effort to rid yourself of bad qualities and gain right ones


7. Right Mindfulness - Focus on the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities in order to put away distress in each area.


8. Right Concentration - Be mindful and alert, avoiding the extremities of life and living moderately.

While Buddhism provides guidelines for how one should live ones life, I find it to be less dictating than other religions. Buddhism encourages followers to consider the teachings and how they apply to one's life, almost like saying "but don't take my word for it, think about it yourself."

It should be understood that Buddha is by no means a god or higher power, to put it simply, Buddha was just a guy who happened to know what he was talking about. Because of this Buddhism is one of the few religions that has absolutely no conflict with the modern scientific world. Buddhism does touch on reincarnation, however this is mostly part of Hinduism that happened to cling on, and isn't a main tenet in Buddhism. There are no promises of punishment for not following the guidelines of Buddhist philosophy; there is no hell, or heaven either for that matter. One should follow a moral code for the benefit of becoming a better and more content person. Buddhism is really more of a list of life suggestions, or a "How to Live Contently". Buddhism sticks to what I think a religion should just stick it, providing a moral code for one to live a healthy life.

I am truly grateful for being born into a Buddhist family, because the Buddhist religion seems to cater to me perfectly. It's the only religion that is not too dogmatic for me to handle, and the philosophical and moral teachings seem to work for me. I love being a Buddhist.

World Religions - Rastafarianism

The singer Bob Marley will be forever identified with Reggae music and his religion Rastafarianism. He was the best known Rastaman in the world. Rastafarians have a very distinctive hair style called Dreads or Locks and look to Haile Salassie(born Tafari Makonnen) as their leader.

The Life of Haile Salassie

Tafari Makonnen was born on the 16th Hamle 1884 by the Ethiopian Calendar which corresponds to July 23rd 1892. He was the only one of ten siblings to survive childhood. His mother died before his second birthday and he was raised by his father's cousin. At the age of thirteen he was given his first region to rule. He married at age 19 and had six children. After a series of governorships in various regions, he was crowned Emperor Haile Salassie(meaning Power of the Trinity) I, on Nov. 2nd 1930.

Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935. Haile Salassie went into exile in 1936. In 1941 he returned and with the help of British troops defeated the Italians. He ruled Ethiopia until 1974 when he was overthrown in an army coup. He died in Addis Ababa on Aug. 27th 1975.

Birth of Rastafarianism

The Rastafari Movement began in Jamaica in the early 1930's amongst poor and working class black people. Some of the titles attributed to Haile Salassie such as:

• King of Kings


• Conquering Lion of Judah


• Lord of Lords


• Elect of God


• Power of the Trinity

insinuated a an association with religious connotations. His status as the only Ruler of an Independent Black Country caught the attention of many. However other factors such as the ritual use of marijuana and the emergence of Afro-centric philosophers like Marcus Garvey gave rise to the popularity of Rastafarianism.

Rastafarian Beliefs

What Rastas believe vary a great deal. However there are some things that all Rastas have in common:

1. The Divinity of Haile Salassie. Salassie claims to trace his ancestry back to King Solomon of Israel and Rastas look upon him as Jah (Jehovah) or God. Selassie himself neither affirmed nor denied this claim.


2. The use of Marijuana (or ganja) as a religious sacrament. They believe that its use aids in meditation and wisdom.


3. Special (Ital) Diet that excludes the use of all meat(especially pork). They avoid predatory and scavenger species of marine life. Salt and many household spices are also not used.


4. The Growing of Dreadlocks. They do not believe that hair should be cut or combed.


5. Ethiopia is the Paradise and the Homeland to which all the faithful will return someday.

From its humble beginnings in Jamaica, Rastafarianism has grown to include many of all nationalities and races. Some have migrated to Ethiopia as told in this interview.

The most powerful expression of Rastafarainism can be seen in Reggae Music. It is music that often criticizes the economic and political structure of the world today as being corrupt and oppressive to minorities, and strives to promote a more just society. The following song by Bob Marley articulates this frustration with the world but holds out hope for the future:

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds" - Bob Marley

[youtube="http://youtube.com/watch?v=0L754e0iHk4"]

Sources used for this article include: Beliefs, Practices and Sacraments of Rastafari The State visit of Haile Salassie I The Rastafari Movement Rasta-ites Rastafarianism