midwest thoughts

occasional musings from the heartland, removed from distractions like mountains, seacoasts, and any elevation of the land -- flat other than the several glacial ravines that run through the area.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Just when you think it can't get any worse . . .

Our Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of Lebanon in Rome, July 27, 2006; the body language tells us how prepared she is to deal with the emerging crisis in Lebanon.


Well, after all the war news of the past week, and the long delayed trip of our Secretary of State to Lebanon and Israel and Rome, with no results at all, it seemed like things couldn't get much worse. No surprise that things can indeed get worse! Items:

--the Wall Street Journal reports that fundamentalist American talibanista John Hagee leads a Christian movement urging Israel on to greater warfare in hopes of jumpstarting Armageddon. Hagee's craziness is documented on http://www.jhm.org/home-new.asp --take a look. Here's a sample:

Become a Part of Biblical Prophecy For I will take you out of the nations: I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. Ezekiel 36:24 (NIV)
Through John Hagee Ministries, Christians are joining forces with the Jewish people to rescue Jews from all around the world who wish to relocate to Israel. To date, John Hagee Ministries has donated in excess of $8.5 million to bring Jews from around the world to Israel. We have done this with the generous help of our partners throughout the Western Hemisphere.

As Christians, we must recognize the critical importance of the Jewish people in God’s plan for us all. We must, in direct fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy, help bring God’s people home to Israel.

The rapturous glee with which the American fundamentalists are greeting the new battles in Lebanon is its own obscenity, of course; along with the drumbeats for attacking other Middle East nations (Syria appears to be in the Administration's crosshairs at the moment, although there's still ominous mutterings about Iran), sure gives credence to those who are now suggesting that World War III has already begun.

--the Columbus Dispatch reports this morning that a Republican operative has sent out an email accusing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland and his wife of, among other things, being gay. The Ohio Republican party head didn't disavow the email, only saying that their campaign's "social conservative coordinator" message was sent on his own. The Dispatch story is at:

http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/27/20060727-A1-03.html

the mud slinging has already started, and the Republicans have already started playing the gay card. It can only get worse.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Short Play in Kitchener

My short play, Last Call, will be produced in Kitchener, Ontario, as part of the Asphalt Jungle Shorts Festival in September. Details at http://www.skyedragon.com/asphalt.html