How Do I Hate Thee?

How do I hate thee? 

Let me count the ways.

I hate thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach.

With apologies to Elizabeth Browning. 

If you are a Republican, is this how you feel about Obama?
If you are a Democrat, is this how you feel about Sarah Palin? 

Let's say you are right and these people are your enemies and worthy of your hate. 

What did Jesus say about your enemies? I bet you already know, but just in case, here is Jesus in Mathew 5:

43-47 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

48 “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Hmm.

Paul mentions those whose conscience has been seared with a hot iron. Did you blush when you read what Jesus said in the context I provided of politics? If so, then mediate on this. If not, then I am not speaking to you. Either you are not active in politics, or your conscience is already seared. 

Is It Tuna?

It is becoming more and more obvious that we can cannot trust the labels that Babylon the Great puts on its food. 

I personally came across this last year when I ate "Julian bread." It was supposed to be a high fiber, low carb bread. It turned out that they had, well, made a mistake. Their new line may be low carb, my guess would be it is, but it is no longer high fiber--and it tastes like cardboard. To me it does not matter now anyway as I no longer eat wheat because I am sensitive to it.

Much of the fish you buy is not labeled correctly. A mistake no doubt. 

Oceana.org comments:

Of the most commonly collected fish types, samples sold as snapper and tuna had the highest mislabeling rates (87 and 59 percent, respectively), with the majority of the samples identified by DNA analysis as something other than what was found on the label. In fact, only seven of the 120 samples of red snapper purchased nationwide were actually red snapper. The other 113 samples were another fish.

While I do not know anything about Oceana, this is a meme that has gotten a lot of traction lately. I am sure that with the strong financial incentive, the idea of adding lower quality fish is quite tempting. If you have some fish that usually has zero market value, and add it to your tuna...well, it doubles your income. 

As I am trying to increase my fish consumption, this is of great interest to me. (As an aside in our "low inflation" world, wild smoked salmon from Trader Joe's just went up $1 a pound.) 

Sorry, but I have no solution for you. As for me, I have stopped buying canned tuna, as the fish that is most commonly used to replace real tuna is quite disgusting, and in some people can cause digestive problems including anal leakage. I think I will pass, so I don't pass anything I would rather not. 

To paraphrase Socrates, Know Thy Food. 

War, What Is It Good For?

By the time this video appears here we may be at war. I hope not. But a weak man must act strong to hide his weakness. 

War

"The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists."

Ernest Hemingway, The Next War

With all the economic problems I mentioned on Monday that need to be addressed, why then is Obama headed to War? 

Hubris. 

The Collins Dictionary defines Hubris this way:

hubris [ˈhjuːbrɪs], hybris
n
1. pride or arrogance
2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) (in Greek tragedy) an excess of ambition, pride, etc., ultimately causing the transgressor's ruin

In the ancient Greek tragedies the person with hubris was often a bully, attacking the weak because it gives him pleasure, or a feeling of power. It was almost sexual in nature. 

Most politicians, of almost any variety, seem to fit this profile. 

Another reason for war is the "short victorious war" idea. This was first expressed by Russian Prime Minister Vlad Plevhe. The Russians figured that Japan was an easy target in 1904. They were wrong and they lost the war. Obama has this idea that the war with Syria will be an obvious victory for US forces. This is probably correct, probably. 

The benefits to the US seem to me at least to far outweigh the risks. Obama is weak, but his hubris will not allow him to appear weak, so he must attack, even if the US attacks alone. (Humorously, the French seem to be on board as Hollande has his own domestic problems. Maybe we need to change the name of freedom fries back to french fries.) 

War is in your future. In fact, since I wrote this post last Friday, it may already have started by now. (It is Sunday now as I do the final edit, it looks like we will get a congressional vote.)

Get ready for the long term consequences. 

Invaders From Mars

I remember watching this as a kid, I never forgot it.