You Yellow Bellied Snake and Other El Niño Issues

“Go ahead, make my day, you yellow-bellied varmint!” Yellow bellied varmint was an expression frequently used in American Western Movies. Or at least that is what I remember. It was meant to call someone as being afraid to confront or fight for their beliefs.

Now it turn out there is a yellow-bellied sea snake with highly poisonous venom that has washed ashore north of Los Angeles. The Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles is not known for its warm sea water. That snake’s arrival here definitely tell us we have a major dose of warm water. This species of sea snake is found in tropical oceanic waters around the world. That should put to rest the “yellow-bellied varmint” expression.

This photo taken in the Antelope Valley which is part of the Mojave Desert. Happily I don’t live in the mountain or desert areas of Southern California. 4.99 inches of rain on December 6, 1997 on my rain gauge during the last El Niño did not flood the house but the backyard lawn was a wading pool and water did flow into the garage through a back door. Sand bags should stop that this time. I had the roof inspected last year and it is in excellent condition said the inspector.

We are not going to the beach searching for those yellow-bellied varmints. I believe we are ready.

No Matter What the Jews Do They will be Blamed!

First view and read this: http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/fox_news_psychiatrist_blames_jews_for_surrendering_guns_to_Nazis

“In other words while Ben Carson was only implying that Germany’s Jews were responsible for their own deaths, Fox News’ Keith Ablow went all the way there:

If Jews in Germany had more actively resisted the Nazi party or the Nazi regime and had diagnosed it as a malignant and deadly cancer from the start, there would, indeed, have been a chance for the people of that country and the world to be moved to action by their bold refusal to be enslaved.

In other words: We didn’t fail Europe’s Jews in the Holocaust, the Jews failed us. Good to know.”The Weekly Sift

It seems that no matter what Jews do or don’t do they are to blame. Millions of Jews did as they were told and were killed before and during WWII. Many people continue to say they did not stand up to the Germans and that cost more lives than simply following orders. Of course that is not entirely accurate. Jews did fight against the Nazis while being held in the Warsaw Ghetto. Jews did join underground efforts against the Nazi war machine. At the end of WWII they fought to the British in Palestine before the state of Israel became a reality. The tactics used by those Jews in Palestine were condemned by many people.

Israel has received military hardware to defend itself from the United States but no participation of U.S. military. When they are attacked they continue to conduct their own defense in their own way. They are condemned for their tactics.

So what is it you want from Israel? Surrender and be killed or fight with every tool you have. That is the choice. The Israelis have chosen to fight. I am not an Israeli but if I was, I would fight.

End of Life Act is NOT Assisted Suicide

We all watched with horror on 9-11 when so many people threw themselves out of the windows of the World Trade Center. They were people of all faiths and no faith. They were people of many national origins and ethnicities. And even though most faiths and traditions disapprove of suicide none of those who jumped were denied burial rites by any of their faiths.

All who wished, or whose families wished, received appropriate sacraments and were buried in sanctified ground. But how could this be with the strong prohibition against suicide? Simple. We all understand that human beings cannot be expected to stay in a burning room. It is primal–one of the two inborn fears that humans have.

We fear fire, and we fear falling. It’s ironic and tragic that those were the choices for many on 9-11. As far as we know all who had a choice chose falling and bringing a certain and quick end to their suffering.

Governor Brown just signed a controversial bill called “The End of Life Option Act” that is unfortunately and misleadingly referred to as the “Right-to-Die Bill” or “Assisted Suicide Bill.”

Remember the 9-11 jumpers were not suicides; they were escapees. They were escaping the anticipated pain of being burned alive. We understood. We all understood.

How is it we have such difficulties in understanding that some people today are living with real pain, right now pain and not anticipated pain? How can we not have the same understanding and compassion for those suffering from intractable, chronic and acute agony?

For some their very bodies are burning rooms in which they should not be required to stay. There are conditions that even our strongest painkillers can barely touch. There is pain so severe that the cost of knocking out is to be so narcotized as to have no quality of life.

The great question–and it doesn’t have an easy or glib answer–is when medical treatment prolongs living and when it prolongs dying? Most of us don’t want our lives cut short or our deaths prolonged. And it is not a fine line between the two but a big fat blurry line. This makes it a hard call; and it should be.

We certainly don’t want people to choose death for a transient condition or from treatable depression. We need some standards and processes. But we also need to understand that bills like California’s are not about the “right to die,” but the Right to Stop Dying. It’s not about ending living but ending dying.

Our wonderful modern medicine has worked miracles at keeping us alive, at fixing once untreatable conditions and curing once incurable diseases. But it has also made it sometimes too hard to die. It has fought diseases and conditions on the battlefield of the patient’s body. It is alright to hate the disease or condition, but we must also remember to love the patient.

Suicide is the wrong word to be associated with this issue. Suicide is about taking one’s own life or acting against one’s own interests. Sometimes, however, our interests are not to be in a burning room, and leaving the room is taking not a life, as in throwing it away, but taking control of one’s fate and asserting a rational, if painful, choice.

Ironically the fear of loss of control over our own life and death can lead to a premature exit. Most of us don’t want to be powerless over our fate and at the mercy of even the benignly motivated ministrations of others. I have seen people save pills and begin to prepare an exit because they feared losing their power and dignity. However, often when assured of the love and support, and yes, help of loved ones, they were, with a lovingly supported escape plan in place, able to go on living.

Costco Goes for the Wealthy

Costco’s basic idea was opening low cost warehouse stores, not located in higher cost shopping centers, and offering a no frills limited selection of goods that could be had in bulk at significantly lower prices.

My nearby Costco was an abandoned warehouse next to a Home Depot and across a boulevard from a Salvation Army facility that includes housing for some very poor people. Adjoining that property is apartment complexes for a struggling working class community.

There were people always sitting on the curb hoping to obtain day jobs. That is probably the consequence of the Home Depot. Some shoppers were uncomfortable with the environment and would not shop at that Costco.

Despite my description of that Costco it was a very busy place. Weekends were always packed with shoppers to the extent that a very large parking lot was near capacity and lines in the store checkout were long.

Just 2½ miles away Westfield (the Australian shopping center developer) owns the Westfield Topanga Mall that houses high end stores including a Neiman Marcus department store. That mall is on the perimeter of Warner Center and just 3 miles from Kim Kardashian and Jay z’s home in Hidden Hills and about 4½ miles from Calabasas which is the home of many entertainment and sports stars.

So Costco, understanding that wealthy people have more money to spend than the rest of us, closed their 20 year old warehouse and moved the 2½ miles into a new building that still has warehouse racking inside but offers the things that only the very wealthy can afford.

What could they offer that is not at your usual Costco?

Louis Vuitton and Chanel Handbags for $1500 (no picture).

$6500 bottles of Louis XIII Cognac.

$23,000 wedding ring.

A $19,000 Patek Phillipe watch.

A $150,000 5.34 carat Round solitaire pendant on what must be a diamond studded necklace. Click the picture to confirm that price.

There are no words that I can write to portray my astonishment.

Ben Carson Continues to Prove He is not Ready for the Presidency

Given that Doctor Ben Carson is a retired neurosurgeon it is difficult to understand how lacking he is in basic knowledge about how the Federal government operates and how little he knows about American treaties.

Number 1:

When asked about what Eastern European nations should do about the fear of Russia he said they should join NATO.

Hugh Hewitt, talk radio host, asked if NATO should be willing to go to war if Russian leader Vladimir Putin attempts to do in the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania) what he’s already done in Ukraine.

“I think they would be willing to go to war if they knew that they were backed up by us,” Carson said. “We need to convince them to get involved in NATO and strengthen NATO.”

“Well, the Baltics, they are in NATO,” Hewitt responded. [In fact, they’ve been member states since 2004.]

After a commercial break, Carson explained that he was confused. “Well, when you were saying Baltic state, I thought you were continuing our conversation about the former components of the Soviet Union,” he said.

Carson’s views on the current Middle East turmoil are similarly confused. Read the entire Hewitt interview here:

Number 2:

In an awkward back-and-forth on NPR’s “Marketplace,” the top-tier GOP presidential candidate baffled host Kai Ryssdal by apparently conflating the debt limit with broader budgetary issues.

Ryssdal asked Carson if the US should raise the debt limit, a hot-button issue that has repeatedly generated congressional brinkmanship in recent years.

Here is the transcript:

Ryssdal: All right, so let’s talk about debt then and the budget. As you know, Treasury Secretary Lew has come out in the last couple of days and said, “We’re going to run out of money, we’re going to run out of borrowing authority, on the fifth of November.” Should the Congress then and the president not raise the debt limit? Should we default on our debt?

Carson: Let me put it this way: If I were the president, I would not sign an increased budget. Absolutely would not do it. They would have to find a place to cut.

Ryssdal: To be clear, it’s increasing the debt limit, not the budget, but I want to make sure I understand you. You’d let the United States default rather than raise the debt limit?

Carson: No, I would provide the kind of leadership that says, “Get on the stick guys, and stop messing around, and cut where you need to cut, because we’re not raising any spending limits, period.”

Ryssdal: I’m going try one more time, sir. This is debt that’s already obligated. Would you not favor increasing the debt limit to pay the debts already incurred?

Carson: What I’m saying is what we have to do is restructure the way that we create debt. I mean if we continue along this, where does it stop? It never stops. You’re always going ask the same question every year. And we’re just gonna keep going down that pathway. That’s one of the things I think that the people are tired of.

Ryssdal: I’m really trying not to be circular here, Dr. Carson, but if you’re not going to raise the debt limit and you’re not going to give specifics on what you’re gonna cut, then how are we going to know what you are going to do as president of the United States?

Number 3:

Ben Carson told Meet the Press that no Muslim should ever be president. “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.” The constitution specifically says that there is no religious qualification to be president. Carson doubles down by telling Wolf Blitzer on CNN he is not sure that President Obama is a Christian – and that really doesn’t matter but being a Christian seems to matter to Ben Carson.

Priest blessing the people at the Kotel on Sukkot

The Priestly Blessing of Sukkot at the Western Wall

Western Wall during Sukkot Priestly Blessing

Western Wall

35,000 Jewish people reportedly gathered at the Western Wall on the day of the priestly blessing during Sukkot this year. The priestly blessing is the time, twice a year, when those of Aaronic lineage stand at the base of the Western Wall and bless the Israelites.

The Four Species

Moses said concerning the feast of Sukkot, “On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Lev 23:40; JPS).

Man with four species of Sukkot

Man during prayers of Sukkot

The Prayers

The Jewish people have interpreted these four species to be the etrog (citron) – yellow fruit, the lulav (palm branch), hadas (avot tree branch), and aravah (willows of the brook). They carry these with them throughout the week to their prayers in the synagogue.

Time of Rejoicing

As the verse above says, this is a week of joy, and the Israelites were literally commanded to rejoice all week! Part of the joy would have been over God’s provision – this festival takes place “after you have gathered the crops of the land” (Lev 23:39).

Sukkot Priestly blessing prayers

Man with gun during Sukkot prayers

Security

As noted many times in the biblical narrative, the harvest was not necessarily a time of security (see the Book of Judges, for instance). Israel today experiences uncertain times. It doesn’t mean that you don’t rejoice, but neither does it mean you don’t carry a gun.

The Torah

The center of Jewish life was and is the Torah – the five books of Moses. During a part of the prayer ceremony on this day, the Torah was brought out by each group represented and became the focus of attention.

The Torah Scroll by the Western Wall

Man reading prayer book

The Prayer Book

The prayer book contains the liturgy for the various feasts and prayer times. This one makes a good picture because it’s the “large-print” edition. The prayers of course are in Hebrew, as they always have been.

“Right to Die” is Now Legal in California

Since 1997, four states in the US have recognized the right to die with dignity. Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and California in 1997, 2009, 2013, and 2015, respectively, have laws that provide a protocol for the practice of physician assisted suicide.

Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Province of Québec, Canada have legalized voluntary euthanasia. On February 6, 2015 the supreme court of Canada officially declared that denying the right to assisted suicide is unconstitutional.

Jack Kevorkian is best known for publicly championing a terminal patient’s right to die via physician-assisted suicide; he claimed to have assisted at least 130 patients to that end. He was often portrayed in the media as “Dr. Death“; however, many consider him a hero as he helped set the platform for reform. He famously said, “Dying is not a crime.”

Should the state pass laws that decide if it’s legal to commit suicide? I believe it should be your choice no matter what the reason.

The California law seems reasonable to me. Here is how its is explained in a Los Angeles Times article.

Modeled after a landmark law in Oregon, California’s law would allow terminally ill Californians to end their lives with drugs prescribed by physicians.

The legislation includes safeguards against abuse, supporters say. It would require two physicians to confirm a patient’s prognosis of six months or less to live, as well as the patient’s mental competence to make healthcare decisions.

The patient would have to make two oral requests to a physician for help in dying, at least 15 days apart, with witnesses to the requests. The medication would have to be self-administered. In addition, the bill would create felony penalties for coercing a patient into making a request or for forging a request.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz to challenge Kevin McCarthy in race for House speaker

Representative Jason Chaffetz a Republican from Utah appeared on Fox News Sunday today to announce his plan to run for Speaker of the House. Along with the apparent front runner, Kevin McCarthy from California, there is a third possible candidate, Daniel Webster from Florida. Chaffetz said that McCarthy has the votes to win in the Republican caucus but not enough votes to win a majority in the entire House.

This situation could give the Democrats an opportunity to determine who will be the next House Speaker. All 188 Democrats plus 30 Republicans would provide the needed majority. Imagine if the Republican Party is split over a selection. That will give Democrats the ability to negotiate agreements on Planned Parenthood, the Import Export Bank, and other key issues in the coming months. Nancy Pelosi must be in high spirits.

This may be a fantasy on my part but given the spilt vision in the GOP, I would not be surprised if this came to pass.

Coverings Worn by Muslim Women

The final debate prior to a national election in Canada for the prime minister’s position was partially focused on the right of Muslim women to wear a niqab. The number of Muslims in Canada is about 1 million people. According to Canada’s 2011 National Household Survey about 3.2% of the Canadian population, making them the second largest religion after Christianity. Muslims are not likely to influence the outcome of the election. The dilemma for western nations is the question of acceptance of Muslims. If their growing numbers results in sharia law taking priority over national laws then there will be a problem.

So what is a niqab? The BBC offered the following explanation and drawings of the various head covering used by Muslim women.

Hijab, niqab, burka – there are lots of different kinds of coverings worn by Muslim women all over the world.

Some wear a headscarf to cover their head and hair, while others wear a burka or niqab, which also covers up their face.

Headscarves are seen as a sign of modesty, and a symbol of religious faith.

But how can you tell which one is which? Check out our guide to the various different types.

The word Hijab describes the act of covering up generally but is often used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in many styles and colours. The type most commonly worn in the West covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.

The Niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf.

The Burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through.

The Al-Amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and a tube-like scarf.

The Shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders.

The Khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear.

The Chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath.