From Where I Sit

The Atlanta International Action Center urges you to attend a protest/press conference TUESDAY, SEPT. 28 at NOON at the Richard Russell Building, 75 Spring St, 30303 - downtown at the corner of Spring and MLK, 2 blocks from the 5 Points MARTA station. Please bring signs and banners demanding : ** Stop the repression against anti-war and international solidarity activists. ** Im mediately return all confiscated materials: computers, cell phones, papers, documents, etc. ** End the grand jury proceedings against anti-war activists. And if you are unable to come, please call the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at 202-353-1555 or write an email to: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov .expressing your opposition. For national updates, go to www.iacenter.org PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFORMATION ON. It might seem strange to blog about something after the fact, but the issue is a fundamental one, and illustrates the perils of standing up for what you believe in, especially if it clashes ...

The rains finally came yesterday. About time for Fall to finally show its face around here...! Temps have decreased into the 70s, which is where we need to be right now. Nights are getting longer, daytime starts later, skies appear grayer. This is my kind of weather--the kind one can stay indoors without feeling any guilt. Fall colors, the anticipation of the Holidays! Smells of home cooking in the air: cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, hot apple cider! Apple pie, spice cookies, hot chocolate and caramel corn. Pumpkins all over the place, trick-or-treaters at your door. And then, the smell of pine trees in the house; the family gatherings, the Christmas lights; the yule logs, the gift exchanges... This is definitely my most favorite time of the year! This season I vow to let go of all my resentments, all my peeves, all my ill-will. I'm tired of feeling beaten down. I'll be tolerant of the nasty political ads on TV (November elections coming up--ugh!). I'll let go of my pes...

Planting party in Conyers, GA! What a great thing to be a part of; sustainable community agriculture. And the sort of volunteering experience that seems more like a holiday. My parents out that way purchase stuff from them all the time - everything from goat cheese logs to shitaake mushroom spore-treated logs, to a large variety of vegetables, baked goods - you can even buy your own herd of African Pygmy Goats from these folks! Mysteriously enough, they don't seem to have a website, but they can be followed on twitter: @ doublebeefarm I just wanted to give everyone an update about the Planting Party Sunday. It is still on rain or shine. We plan to start as early as your can make it. I will be working from dawn till done…. We are going to transplant, plant garlic and even seed some beds. We do need all the help we can get. It only takes about 20 minuets to transplant a flat but we got 20 flats + 45lbs of garlic, onions and lots of seeds. Our addres...

Recently encountered this, which has given me pause. http://www.justmeans.com/A-Renewable-Energy-Teaching-Moment/31523.html Now, from what I understand about it, and from other sources I've seen, the DU issue splits along two lines: 1) those who have data, belief, testimonial, & anecdotal evidence that DU is toxic, pervasive, and a scourge on the planet. These maintain that those who use it in bullets (read: America) are callous, thoughtless criminals who will bear the responsibility of destroying a large swath of life over coming generations. 2) those who have data, belief, testimonial & anecdotal evidence that DU is "no big deal", no more harmful or radioactive than what your driveway contains and puts out on any given day. Now, for some background data, A primer on the issues at hand, as derived from this particular source: http://www.justmeans.com/editorials?action=readeditorial&p=30551 "Of course, when citizens here can consider the harsh realities ...

(excerpt from longer post to be found at Just Means , by Jim Hickey) INTRODUCTION Burke County, Georgia is Old South country. 'Dixie' predominates at the top, but for most folks, eliminating slavish conditions and having some sort of decent life remains the primary priority. In coming posts about nuclear prospects, one of my focuses will be on communities like Waynesboro and Shell Bluff, Burke County towns which directly abut both the reactors currently at Plant Vogtle and those projected for completion in the next decade. Today, however, we'll be creating a replica of the nuclear electricity business model. From the perspective of the Federal Government , the utility industry , and quasi-public suppliers of power , the future simply glows with the necessity of radioactive power generation. This certainty, which flies in the face of both the focus on renewable energy that citizens favor and what our historical experience with this technology has ...

I've been following "Epic: A Journey through Church history," as part of a Bible study course at my parish. Quite an eye-opener I must say. I'm learning about the difficult and painful path our Church fathers had to follow in order to keep the Church alive; how much it was asked of them for the sake of the Church and their faith; the unspeakable torments they had to endure in those early days. I can't help but wonder what drives a human being to inflict such torture on another--what deviant minds can fashion such horrific modes of punishment (is it the Devil at work there perhaps?)? Would I be that brave and strong to endure all that our martyrs and saints endured for their faith? I try to put myself in that situation and cannot help but come up short of those expectations. No; I know for a fact that I would not have been strong enough to withstand such tortures; I probably would've given in; renounced my faith, done whatever it took to save my hide (or th...

(From The Didache : The Lord's Teachings through the 12 Apostles to the Nations ): “Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies. Love those who hate you, and you shall not have an enemy. If someone takes away your cloak, give him also your coat. If someone takes from you what is yours, ask it not back, for indeed you are not able... Give to every one that asks you, and ask it not back... Be not a liar, since a lie leads the way to theft; neither money-loving , nor vainglorious , for out of all these thefts are engendered. “You shall not exalt yourself (Luke 18:14), nor give over-confidence to your soul... Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive and a drawer of them back to give... You shall not hesitate to give, nor murmur when you give. You shall not turn away from him that is in want, but you shall share all things with your brother, and shall not say that they are your own. Concerning False Prophets : “[a] Let every apostle that comes to you be received as...