‘merica

Does the soul begin at conception, as right-to-lifers say, or at birth, as pro-choicers say? Am now reading “The Advent” a radical Hindu-based text, which says the soul enters the body once the body is built up enough to receive it, and all the Gods’ energies are aligned and shazam into the body and go to their respective chakras, somewehre between 2 – 3 months after conception. And in this week’s Economist, in an article on Islamist science,http://www.economist.com/…/21570677-after-centuries-stagnat…, it says Muslims believe the soul enters the body 40 – 120 days after conception, almost the same time frame, and so Muslims by and large are for stem cell research. Maybe it’s true!

http://www.economist.com/news/international/21570677-after-centuries-stagnation-science-making-comeback-islamic-world-road

Prop 37…
October 10 – 48.3% For, 40.2% Against, 11.5% Undecided
October 28 – 39.1% For, 50.5% Against, 10.5% Undecided
Source: California Business Roundtable
Why? The 9 biggest daily papers in Cali are against. Why? HUGE $$ being spent to defeat it. Here’s the top ten spenders:
Monsanto – $7,100,500
DuPont – $4,900,000
Pepsi – $2,145,400
Bayer – $2,000,000
Dow – $2,000,000
BASF – $2,000,000
Syngenta – $2,000,000
Kraft Foods – $1,950,000
Coca-Cola – $1,455,500
Nestle – $1,315,600
But we can’t eat money, even if it is being shoved down our throats.

California needs to step up and require labeling of food that gets sold. Prop 37 does not prevent GMO-based food from being sold. It requires better and more honest labeling of the food, as is done in Europe and 61 other countries. Michael Pollan supports Prop 37. The California Nurses Association, the California Democratic Party, and Consumers Union (Publisher of Consumer Reports) supports it. I support it. Don’t be intimidated by the chemical and / or agri business lobby. Yes on 37. Pass it on.

Obama’s cynical strategy of playing the middle and standing for nothing finally blew up in his face last night. His performance was an insult to any of us who have supported him, because he didn’t debate. He didn’t even know his positions. He had no specifics, no facts, no interest – and sadder still – no ability, to actually respond to what his opponent was saying. And because he stands for nothing, there was nothing left. It was real garbage, and it actually made me sick to watch. If he ever had me, he lost me.

Obama’s cynical strategy of playing the middle and standing for nothing finally blew up in his face last night. His performance was an insult to any of us who’ve supported him, because not only did he clearly not prep for debate, he didn’t debate. He didn’t even know his positions. He had no specifics, no facts, no interest – and sadder still – no ability to actually respond to what his opponent was saying. And because he stands for nothing, there was nothing left.

I am not cynical for seeing Obama as cynical. I love him as a person, such as I can tell, and disparage him as a President. Why? We are in way worse trouble than he is willing to say, and his unwillingness to say it, which has been his policy, left Romney enough room to drive a truck through. Obama is not an angel, and Romney is not a slick lying bastard. This is not good vs. evil; we aren’t children. They are both politicians who have far less difference between them than the range of options that ought to be before us should ever warrant. But mainly it was just sad to see how unable the modern world is to generate a leader that can speak the truth, which is that we have to change course in a big way.

My friend George described Romney like this: “I believe that Romney is pro- whatever will transfer and consolidate wealth and power at the top. If there is substantial profit in war, then he is pro-war. If there is substantial profit in Oil/Coal -then he is pro-Oil/Coal. If only there was profit in peace, aspiration, being a big yellow bird and for each person to live their life with dignity -then he’d be pro- all that. But there’s no money there.” And now I’m sitting wondering how much difference there is between these two guys.