Watch your speed

A Louisiana State Trooper pulled a car over on US165 about 2 miles south of the Louisiana/Arkansas State line.

When the Trooper asked the driver why he was speeding, the driver explained that he was a Magician and Juggler and was on his way to Monroe to do a show at the Shrine Circus. He didn't want to be late.

The Trooper told the driver he was fascinated by juggling and said that if the driver would do a little juggling for him, then he wouldn't give him a ticket.

The driver told the Trooper he had sent his equipment ahead and didn't have anything to juggle.

The Trooper said he had some flares in the trunk and asked if he could juggle them? The juggler said he could, so the Trooper got 3 flares, lit them and handed them to him.

While the man was juggling, a car pulled in behind the patrol car.

A drunken good old boy, from Arkansas , got out, watched the performance, then went over to the patrol car, opened the rear door and got in.

The Trooper observed him and went over to the patrol car. He opened the door and asked the drunk what he thought he was doing?

The drunk replied, "You might as well take my ass to jail, cause there's no way in hell I can pass that test."

It's OK To Quit.....

Words of Wisdom from~

Motivational Speaker - Veraunda Jackson

1. Quit arguing with people about the same old foolishness! Respect their position and keep it moving!

2. Quit telling people your secrets when you know they are not going to keep them! And if you keep telling them, then quit getting mad when they tell your secrets!

3. Quit trying to pull people on your journey who don't want to travel with you. Either they believe in you and value you...or they don't!

4. Quit complaining about things you can't and won't change! (VERY IMPORTANT!)

5. Quit gossiping about other people! Minding our own business should be a full time job!

6. Quit blaming each other for things that in the big picture aren't going to matter three weeks from now! Talk solutions...and then implement them!

7. Quit eating things you know are not good for you! If you can't quit...eat smaller portions!

8. Quit buying things when we know we can't afford them! If you don't have self control, then quit going to the stores! Quit charging things, especially when you don't NEED them!

9. Quit staying in unhealthy relationships! It is not okay for people to verbally or physically abuse you! So quit lying to yourself! It is not okay to stay in the marriage for the children! Ask them and they will tell you that they really would prefer to see you happy and that the misery you and your spouse/partner are living with is affecting them!

10. Quit letting family members rope you into the drama! -Start telling them you don't want to hear it! Quit spreading the drama! Quit calling other relatives and telling them about your cousin or aunt! Go back to #5 minding your own business should be enough to keep you busy!

11.. Quit trying to change people! IT DOESN'T WORK! Quit cussing people out when you know that they are just being the miserable and jealous people that they are!

12. Quit the job you hate! Start pursuing your passion. Find the job that fuels your passion BEFORE you quit!

13. Quit volunteering for things that you aren't getting any personal fulfillment from anymore! Quit volunteering for things and then failing to follow through with your commitment!

14. Quit listening to the naysayers! Quit watching the depressing news if you are going to live in the doom and gloom of it all!

15. Quit making excuses about why you are where you are or why you can't do what you want to do!

16. Quit waiting on others to give you the answers....and start finding the answers for yourself! If what you are doing isn't working for you....then quit it!

17. Quit settling and start making your dreams a reality!

18. Quit being afraid and START LIVING YOUR LIFE! CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT! If you want something different than what you have had in the past...you must quit doing what you have done before and DO something different! JUST QUIT IT ...... and START DOING something to create the experience you want!

SnagFilms Film Widget

"Last Stand of the Great Bear" National Geographic Video

One hour of a great wildlife experience that I hope leaves you loving Nature as much as I do.

Run your cursor over the White Bear and click, to start the film. You can expand to a full screen by clicking on the icon in the right corner below the video screen. Sorry about the commercial at the beginning, but it's worth it to see the program.

Enjoy, and then remember what you've seen, because as of March 31, 2009 a portion of the Great Bear Rainforest is now being protected, but only our vigilance will make sure that that protection is maintained, and actually expanded. Here is an article that explains the situation. Oh, and I've left you a P.S. after this article.....

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Last updated 12:01 p.m. PT

B.C.'s 'Great Bear Rainforest' gets protection

By JOEL CONNELLY
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

When the whole world is watching, your market is global, and your government is up for re-election, doing the "Green" thing can be good for business and smart politics.

A ceremony in Victoria at noon on Tuesday proves the point.

The British Columbia government will announce sweeping plans to protect key areas and lessen damage to old growth watersheds along its West Coast, a land of fjords and mountains and islands that environmentalists have dubbed the Great Bear Rainforest.

The protection will extend to much of Princess Royal Island, home to the Kermode or "spirit bear," a genetically unique subspecies of black bear that white or cream-colored. The Khutzeymateen Park, a famed grizzly bear sanctuary north of Prince Rupert, will grow substantially.

A master stream that carves a path between summits and icefields of the Coast Range, the Klinaklini River, is largely protected. So are such streams as the Nascall River, near Bella Coola, and the Ecstall River near Prince Rupert.

The political tug-of-war over the Great Bear Rainforest has lasted more than a decade.
It began at a time intensive clear cutting up and down the B.C. coast. In one of the few protected areas, Tweedsmuir Park, a hiking party came to a dramatic overlook of the Talchako River, and witnessed devastation.

The river marked the park's western boundary. The west side of the Talchako, an important fishing stream, had been stripped for miles. Environmentalists threatened to mount a boycott of British Columbia forest products in Europe and the United States.

They also brought in celebrities (e.g. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.), tourists and National Geographic photographers to record kermode bears, grizzly bears, wolf packs and whales.

The agreement, announced Tuesday, means 5 million acres along the province's North and Central Coast are now formally protected. The province has divvied up these lands as "conservancies," "biodiversity areas" and provincial parks.

Conservancies allow native groups to pursue "low impact economic activities" but ban commercial logging, mining and power generation. On non-protected lands, the provincial government, First Nations governments, greens and logging companies have committed to a new forestry approach.

Restrictions will cover how much old growth timber can be extracted. In areas being logged, between 30 and 70 percent of ancient forests will be left standing.

The new logging regulations put over 1.7 million acres of rainforest -- not in protected areas -- off limits to logging. Increased buffers along lakes, rivers and wetlands will protect the Coast's salmon runs. Important grizzly habitat will be maintained.

The accord also gives greens and First Nations governments a role in planning the future of the coast, best known as the Inside Passage route to Alaska.

In years past, the coast was simply marked as a "Timber Supply Area", with a resource extraction economy and logging companies given free rein.

A British Columbia cabinet minister of yesteryear, Phil Gaglardi, once intoned: "God didn't put those trees there for man to worship. He put them there to be cut down."

The tide began to turn in the early 1990's under B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt, when an 850,000-acres preserve was created in the Kitlope Valley. A royal visitor, Prince Philip, dedicated the Khutzeymateen Park.

The latest accord has been worked out with the right-of-center B.C. government of Premier Gordon Campbell. Elected in 2001, Campbell initially took such actions as letting timber companies police their own environmental practices.

Campbell has since taken a green turn, instituting a carbon tax with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating new parks.

The premier is seeking a third term when British Columbia holds a provincial election in early May. He is facing a tough contest with the left-of-center New Democratic Party.
Premier Campbell has already announced that the Kermode bear will be British Columbia's official animal.

Joel Connelly can be reached at 206-448-8160 or joelconnelly@seattlepi.com.

P.S. You know what my friends....It's the season of the Christian holiday of Easter and Jewish Passover. As some of humanity meditates on the esoteric meanings of these observances, we've all got to challenge ourselves to allow the love we feel for the Earth and it's endangered species, to expand in our Hearts to include our fellow human beings.

It must overflow into real concern, and compassionate actions for those people that are most different than those we will be hugging and sharing holiday meals with this season. The wholeness of the planet depends upon humanity realizing it's oneness with all life, whether it moves by four legs or two, has stems and leaves, wings or fins, speaks our language, or communicates nonverbally. This new understanding must first be applied within our own species.

Peace in your Heart and Blessings in your Life~

Kentke

We're All in This Together.....

Cat's are so dramatic!!

How'd you Rate Obama's First Outing as a World Leader?

In my assessment, this Royal Bobby's smile says,

"Job well done Mr. President!"

According to one commentator, "This is the most powerful photo in the series. Remember they are not supposed to shake hands, but the two brothers couldn't resist the historic moment. The black royal cop never imagined in his wildest dream that he would usher a black American president into the British corridors of power."

Life Could be Better. Money Gets in the Way

Demonstrators take part in the "Put People First" march through central London.

This week President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle are on their first trip to Europe to meet with other heads of state at three summit meetings. The first is the G-20 Summit being held in London this week.

Just in case anyone isn't sure, below I've included a description/definition of just what the G-20 is all about. This is taken from the online source, Wikipedia.

"The G-20 (more formally, the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors) is a group of finance ministers and central back governors from 20 economies: 19 of the world's largest national economies, plus the European Union (EU). It also met once at heads-of-government level, in November 2008. Collectively, the G-20 economies comprise 85% of global gross national product, 80% of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world population.

The G-20 is a forum for cooperation and consultation on matters pertaining to the international financial system. It studies, reviews, and promotes discussion among key industrial and emerging market countries of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability, and seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization."

I never use Voice of America as a source, but in this case it should be reliable. Voice of America's article about the purpose of Pres. Obama's presence at the meeting states,
"The so-called G20 leaders agree that something must be done about the global economic crisis, but they differ on the amount of government stimulus needed. Mr. Obama has campaigned, without much success, to get other G20 countries to spend as aggressively as he has.

"[that] the stimulus efforts of all countries are sufficiently robust to deal with the decline in demand," Mr. Obama said. "We think that is important. Countries like China, for example, are doing that."

The president said recently he will also try to persuade his fellow G-20 leaders to work together to regulate the financial markets."We think that it is very important that there is coordination and effort, so that if we are doing some things that are increasing transparency, openness and trust on Wall Street, that London is doing the same thing," Mr. Obama said."

A source I do check and appreciate a bit more is the BBC news organization. Just a bit, mind you...but I want to share this another side to the story that I think is really important. As we gather the information we need to understand the current world crisis which capitalism, greed, lack of integrity and Western style banking, stock markets and finance matrices have created, we're going to have to hear from beyond these shores.

Although America claims freedom of the press, as we saw with the Bush administration, the press today, is so tied in with the corporations that own them and the phenomen of the U.S. government, that they will print, air and promote whatever the Board Room or Oval Office dictates. The traditional and major news sources are laced hand in glove to the imperialism, multinational appropriation of Earth's resources, indigenious displacement, and worst of all, the military-industrial complex, that prospers by wars and conflict.

Now everybody, myself included doesn't agree with Obama's assessment of the financial meltdown, nor with the some of the suggestions and methods that have been implemented to 'fix' the situation. I mean after all.....why would I give my tax dollar to a banker, so he can loan my own money back to me, and allow him to profit off my money by charging me interest ....on my own money!?!?!?

I mean if I'm misunderstanding what happened ...somebody, please write and heal me of my ignorance. But in my mind, you folks went for that....you allowed that insane measure to go down, under Bush, and be continued with the release of more of your hard earned money, to go to BANKERS?!?!? under Obama. Okay..... I'll stop.....

Obviously, this type of madness incenses me....So let's get back to the latest Knewz from those on the ground in London, that feel like I do~

In a message for the G-20 summit in London, protesters call for sustainable development, help for the poor and punishment for those responsible for the economic crisis.

More protests are planned.

By Henry Chu and Janet Stobart

March 29, 2009

Reporting from London -- Thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to demand punishment for bankers, power to the poor and protection of the environment at a protest meant as a wake-up call to world leaders gathering here this week for an economic summit.

It was one of the largest demonstrations this city has seen since massive rallies six years ago against the invasion of Iraq. The turnout, estimated at 35,000, reflected the depth of popular anger over Britain's economic crash and the perceived greed of bankers and other high-fliers whom many people blame for it.

Beneath a sea of banners, marchers representing trade unions, charities, environmental groups and churches snaked through the streets to converge on Hyde Park. Placards called for "People Before Profits" and "Jobs, Not Bombs," in a nation suffering its worst unemployment in more than a decade."It's people that make changes, not governments," said Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary of Unite, one of Britain's largest unions. "There should be more investment in public services and housing, not less, [and] greater help to get people back into work."

The leaders of the Group of 20 nations, representing the world's largest developed and emerging economies, will meet here Thursday to discuss ways to pull the global economy out of its hole. The G-20 meeting will be the first major summit for President Obama, who is hugely popular in Europe but is having trouble reaching an agreement with European leaders on how best to combat the global recession.

In Berlin, raucous protests drew thousands of demonstrators Saturday, and hundreds congregated in Paris. About 6,000 students, union members and others marched in Rome to protest a meeting of the Group of 8 industrial nations' labor ministers there.

The London demonstration attracted participants from across Europe, such as 11.11.11, an umbrella organization of Belgian volunteer groups." We want governments to give a voice to poorer countries," said Benedikt Raets, who runs the organization's website. "The poorest countries are paying the highest price."

Saturday's protest here offered a foretaste of demonstrations planned for this week -- and of the security nightmare they present for London police. Several activist organizations have scheduled events Wednesday, when many of the G-20 leaders are set to arrive, and some underground anarchist groups have threatened to storm buildings in the financial district.

All leave has been canceled for police officers in order to mount a full-scale security operation that could cost more than $10 million. Anti-terrorist and intelligence agencies are also on high alert.But critics accuse the police of overstating the threat of violence to justify heavy-handed tactics. Last week, influential members of Parliament expressed concern that the police have bullied and harassed peaceful demonstrators, including filming them and invoking anti-terrorism laws against them."I'm worried about the spectacular smear stories that the police are putting out in advance of the day," said Peter McDonald, an activist with the environmental organization Climate Camp. Previously, "there have been similar tactics used to get everyone a little hysterical in the run-up, and they've never come true in practice," he said.

McDonald agreed that both the global economy and the global climate are in urgent need of attention, but he said that the recovery of one should not worsen the other."Telling people to consume more to get the economy back on track, in an age of climate change, is frankly obscene," he said. "There's a very widespread sense that things can't go on the way they were before. There's an opportunity for something new to emerge from this."

The group is planning to hold its annual camp Wednesday in the city center, with the slogan "Nature doesn't do bailouts!"Many activists agree that the crisis offers perhaps the best chance in years to get across their pleas for greater social justice and environmental vigilance, brushed aside in the rush to buy stocks and SUVs during the boom times."

All the cards are in our favor now. The true nature of the economic system is revealed; the true quality of political leadership is revealed," said Mark Barrett of G-20 Meltdown, a left-wing group that embraces noisy street theater to spread its gospel of decentralization and anti-capitalism. It is organizing a "Financial Fools' Day" protest Wednesday outside the Bank of England, and has called on members to descend on the summit venue and knock on visiting leaders' and officials' hotel-room doors in the middle of the night to disrupt their sleep."

We have a chance to get some really great ideas into the public realm," Barrett said. "And it's mainly, completely, because of the financial crisis."

That openness was sorely tested last week, however, when one G-20 Meltdown leader, Chris Knight, an anthropology professor at the University of East London, told a radio show that bankers could wind up "hanging from lampposts" and "things could get nasty" if change did not come to Britain. The university has suspended him pending an investigation.

On a more positive note~

Before the Summit, the President has already had some success with his initial meetings with Russia's new President Dmitry Medvedev. The Los Angeles Times reported, that the two announced their intention to "move beyond Cold War mentalities" and reopen arms talks at a meeting today (held) on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in London. Their hope is to reduce the number of nuclear warheads that each nation controls.

The two struck a quick chemistry in their talks, part of the bilateral discussions that the new American president is holding with other world leaders during his time in London for a summit of the leaders of G-20 nations focused on addressing the global economic problem."


They did have a good rapport," said one U.S. official, describing the private meeting on condition of anonymity. "They were able to address a wide range of issues in a relative short period of time. . . . It's fair to say that rapport was also matched by candor and frankness on areas of disagreement."













The leaders plan to discuss a possible replacement for an expiring 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which limited the world's two largest nuclear arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200 nuclear warheads. That agreement, known as START, expires on Dec. 5.
In a joint statement, the two reaffirmed "that the era when our countries viewed each other as enemies is long over."

It just came to me that these are truly exciting times. For the first time in a long time, the world, and in particular, those that call themselves leaders are going to have the opportunity to interact with a Black man of intelligence, integrity and power. It's a different day than when Colin Powell travelled the world and lent his stature and credibility to Bush's lies and deadly plans, demeaning himself in the process.

This time, the world meets a Black man empowered to operate from his own Highest Self. I do not know how free Obama is from the mental programming of society, institutions and religions that boils down to maintaining a status quo of White supremacy in this world.

I do know that he is balanced, and that he is contemplative. He listens deeply, and takes the time to reflect (and probably pray) over what he's presented with, before he speaks to offer his thoughts and decisions.

That alone, is a good enough start for me~

Kentke

Pres. Obama listens to questions at London press conference before G-20 Summit.

Jehan Sadat - Another important figure in my Women of the World History Month

Former first lady Jehan Sadat talks to interviewer Gamal Nkrumah about the poignant influences on her politics and the release of her latest bombshell on the 30th anniversary of the monumental signing of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty

As we near the end of this month in which the world is honoring and giving attention to the contributions and issues that women face all over the globe, I visited one of my favorite websites for news on the Middle East.

Upon learning that Israel's premier-designate Benjamin Netanyahu had selected Avigdor Lieberman, --- a firebrand who once told Egyptian president Hosni Mubarek to "go to hell",--- as his foreign minister, I quickly turned to Egypt's English news publication, The Al Ahram Weekly, to see what they had to say about this development.


I mean afterall, Egypt is the only nation in the region with a peace treaty and a decent relationship with Israel. So a selection such as this is highly suspect, if establishing a Palestinan nation and achieving peace in the region is the prayer of humanity. Netanyahu himself is one of the most right-wing and hawkish Israeli leaders that I can personally recall.


The years when he had his first attempt at leading the nation were brief, but dramatic. He declared that he would not give up land for peace, but then did just that, twice.

Anyway....I'll save him for a later skewering, as I'm sure there will be many opportunities in the days to come.

I'm here really to bring to your attention a book, written by the widow of a man whose principles and courage I greatly admired. His committment to his stance for peace in the region, inevitably cost him his life. And this man was Anwar Sadat.



This is a long interview, but I do think it's worth your time. Mrs. Sadat's comments are rather like my blog.
All inclusive.

The interview weaves threads of history, spirituality, and ofcourse, the heated politics of the Middle East. She is anchored thru it all by her love and devotion to her husband, so we see the form of Islam that is her guiding light, and that directed her very involved partnership with her husband.


She has just released a new book, and if you find the interview interesting, I urge you to purchase the book. We are always open to new perspectives, to feed our desire to grow into expanded ways of Being in the world.


This lady is a worthy role model, which women and men, can definately gain from.


Enjoy....
Kentke



A light flickering on and off in Jehan Sadat's sunlit sitting room is bugging one of her numerous cats, Jerry, I think the chubby ginger cat is called. He soon bores of the insubstantial and turns to me. Purring softly, as I stroke him, he eyes my notepad with curious suspicion.



"I love my cats," her brilliant emerald eyes sparkle with delight. She clicks her thumb and index finger, hunting for the right expression and apologises when he flies off at a tangent. "Cats are full of character. Small wonder the ancient Egyptians deified them."


And, the conversation smoothly shifts towards the spiritual. "To include faith as a principle for peace in the Middle East seems at best counterintuitive. How can religion, which seems the source of so much misery in the region, do anything other than prove a divisive, countervailing influence to efforts towards peace? For me, the answer is simple: God, whether according to the Muslim, Christian, or Jewish tradition, enjoins us to treat others as we would ourselves be treated, to be compassionate, to be forgiving, to love our fellow human beings. God does not need to lead us to confrontations or brutality in his name. These actions represent the formulations and frailties of humankind." We chatter, touching further on the subject of personal faith, deep religious conviction as opposed to superficial ritualistic religious lore -- and above all God.


For Jehan Sadat religion is no abstraction: it is practical, functional and yet she confesses that she is instinctively drawn to the mystical. "I believe that events in our lives happen for a purpose, and yet sometimes marvel at the circumstances that have brought me, in some ways, full circle -- face-to-face with a part of my life that I find most painful," she smiles faintly without a trace of remorse.


"When my husband was slain by Islamic extremists, I never imagined that I would one day be living in America, speaking out in an effort to counter the idea that extremists speak for Islam. It would not have occurred to me in 1981 that the example set by my husband's murderers could one day be seen as representative of my faith." For her, there is no compulsion in religion, as Islam so explicitly makes clear.


"For me, being a good Muslim does not mean abjuring criticism or silencing dissent within our own communities." Her dramatic rise from a cloistered childhood in the then leafy island suburb of Manial to the distinction of first lady is something of a fairytale.


Jehan is no shrinking violet. She has faced down many moments of despair with dignity and poise. She recalls forbidding moments that altered the course of her life, especially the assassination of her beloved Anwar. "Our nation seemed poised at the very edge of fiery conflagration, with fanatics on both sides fanning the flames."


Sadat, defying the entire Arab and Muslim world, broke the taboo of entering the lair of the beast. "Such were events leading up to Sadat's detention of Egypt's dissidents. I say this not as a means of excusing it, but rather to place it in context." She does not defend, but explains, the circumstances that led to her late husband's arrest on 5 September 1981 of 1,500 religious figures and political activists.


She shifts in her seat. I ask somewhat peevishly whether such numbers were warranted. "In Anwar's mind, such extreme action served as a protective and precautionary move. He saw no other way to keep the peace train on track."


Mrs Sadat is jealously protective about the man she calls "the love of my life". She blindly believes in his cause, not because he was her hero, but rather out of conviction. Many of the stories about Sadat have fantastical aspects that lend themselves well to political commentary. The result of her reminiscing is an enjoyable ode to her sweetheart My Hope for Peace. Her sharp memory and attention to detail are astounding assets. She gauges important cultural differences between Westerners and Muslims, but what is truly remarkable about her is the concise candidness with which she elucidates her arguments.


"As the widow of Anwar Sadat, I cannot count myself an objective analyst of his policies," she concedes. "Sadat pursued peace because he knew it was what most Egyptians, exhausted by war and desperate to turn their energies towards less destructive pursuits, wanted," she stresses.

"And he knew it was in his nation's, and the region's, best interests. He put peace before his own political position, personal popularity, physical safety, or relationship with fellow heads of state." Presumably, Mrs Sadat was referring to her husband's poisoned relationship with a majority of Arab leaders at the time.


My Hope for Peace is a compelling book written by a zesty woman of Egypt who has been more than 50 years in the public eye. Delivering historical accuracy is paramount for this punctilious woman. Memories of the October war are starting to fade for the younger generations of Egypt.

The scars linger, however.


Detractors, of whom there are many, view her as an appendage of her husband. Almost three decades after his assassination, she remains devoted to her husband's cause but infuses it with a feminine touch. "I could not retreat into Anwar's shadow."


Jehan Sadat left an indelible mark with her introduction of the so-called "Jehan laws" that laid the foundations of women's rights in Egypt. "At first, I was not even aware that they had nicknamed these laws after me." She laughs. But on a more serious note, she delves into the challenges facing contemporary women. "Being open about it rather than sensationalising it," she argues, "is a way of bridging the cultural divide," she tells Al-Ahram Weekly.


The new book, then, stands every chance of being as quizzical and provocative as her earlier work The New York Times best-selling autobiography, A Woman of Egypt.
Her latest work, a slim but significant volume, tackles not only women's rights but also the political future of the country and even more daringly her own interpretation of Islam. "Although I am not a religious scholar, I hope to set the record straight and correct what I see as the most persistent and prevalent misconceptions about Islam."


The story opens by focussing on the nebulous nexus between the "Eleventh of September and the Sixth of October". The two events are radically different, but for the author there is a common thread. The Arab victory on 6 October 1973 paved the way for Sadat's magnanimity. 9/11, on the other hand, represented for her the culmination of Arab and Muslim fury.


Sadat's October was the very antithesis of Al-Qaeda's September. For the author, the onus should always be on forgiveness, in the spirit of Islam, not vengeance. Set between the outbreak of the 1973 War and 9/11, My Hope for Peace tackles familiar themes.


Jehan Sadat is convinced that Muslims are peace-loving people. "Although the details of the Arab-Israeli conflict have changed, this fundamental truth -- that people want peace -- remains the same." According to her, those who preach violence are detested not only by the West, but by the Muslim masses themselves.


"Although I have dwelled much on the angry minorities in Egypt and the Arab world who opposed Sadat's dialogue with Israel, it bears repeating that most Egyptians supported their president's initiative," she asserts. The Suez Canal cities used to be haunted by their ruins. People neither forget the tragedies, nor do they disregard the triumphs.


The subject matter, she assures me, is how people relate across cultures. And, it is not about pleasing the American crowd.


Peace only came to Egypt as a result of its victory over the Israelis. The outbreak of the Sixth of October War was greeted in startlingly different ways by the Arab and Western public. Some not surprisingly responded with foreboding.


She believes certain Arab regimes thrive on the Palestinian predicament and have no interest in real peace. Those, she claims, are the ones responsible for her husband's death. They are even prepared to sacrifice the Palestinian cause to maintain their grip on power. "To the leaders of some Arab countries, solution of the Palestinian problem signals the downfall of their rule. The question of Palestine has become the convenient hanger on which they display their internal problems. The same holds true for some of the Israeli leadership," she expounds.


Sadat was criticised for dealing with and thereby putting his trust in the hands of Likud. She herself didn't understand it at the time. Later, she came to appreciate his foresight. "Nor did he let ideological considerations determine his perception of his one-time adversaries. There were many, including myself, who believed that making peace with a Likud leader would be all but impossible."


"I did not believe that Begin had the political will and personal determination required for making peace with the Arabs. Anwar, however, assured me that Begin would be a workable partner. He was right."


This prompts the question of whether the likes of Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman can pull off an agreement that the spineless Kadima and Labour couldn't. She would not be drawn into a discussion of Israeli domestic politics. For her, the problem lies with current Arab weakness.

"The Palestinians have to be one delegation to negotiate properly with Israel," she notes.


"That Sadat himself took a long view of history was something that he demonstrated again and again, and not only in his certitude that his fellow Arab leaders would one day return to Egypt. This view fuelled his relentless efforts to make peace with Israel and kept him focussed when he encountered stumbling blocks."


Regional concerns preoccupy her thinking, but domestic politics animate her.
"I try to share this holistic, big-picture approach to history. Speaking as someone who has felt the barbed point of the revisionist pen, I know all too well that the cycle of vilifying and lionising according to political fortunes has little foundation in reality."

She married young, very young. "Two months exactly before I turned 16 I married, on 29 May 1949," she says and it was her late husband who taught her politics. She remains indebted to him, she insists.


"The summer of 1981 was a crucial time for Egypt as our financial, social and political institutions were being sorely tested. Sadat was determined to weather the storm -- to give us a more stable economy and peace."


A tense silence follows. It is great to wave a flag, but those who hoist it must understand what it's all about: development, risk and protecting the younger generations.


We swerve back to the question of democratisation that still dogs Egypt. "Sadat allowed protests on the university campus, fostered a free press, and established a multiparty system. For a time, Egypt seemed to be moving closer and closer to democracy, even though fundamentalists were now within their rights to deliver messages contrary to Egypt's tradition of tolerance," she notes.
And, this is the dilemma facing Egypt and other predominantly Muslim nations: what is the precise relationship of democracy and Islam? Indeed, can Western-style democracy incorporate Islam? Are democracy and Islam compatible? At this point, Sadat harkens back to the chain of events leading up to her husband's assassination in 1981.


"They were insisting that Sharia be our only code of law; that Egypt no longer accept imports from the West; that the Quran forbade peace with Israel; that Copts were enemies of Muslims; and that men and women could not attend university together."


"Granted their positions were abhorrent to the vast majority of Egyptians; however, their hate-filled rhetoric did fuel sectarian violence between Muslim and Copt. It was a frightening time, not least because the peace process hung in the balance," she says.


"Although he could have silenced his critics and reinstated the old restrictions, Anwar did not."
She presses her message that we are rushing into the future, unheeding of all that is lost. She is a woman that does not grow restive when all does not go perfectly under the considerate scrutiny of both her admirers and her adversaries. "I was aware of the dangers that surrounded us. He was aware, too."


The husband and wife team as the wellspring of his success presented progress. But her husband's gruelling death still haunts her. "I was afraid he would not return every time he left the house, every time he left the country. I was afraid, and my worst fears were realised." She doesn't flinch or recoil. "Yes, I was afraid. Towards the end, I was very afraid."


But then, that has always been the case -- and it didn't stop her from living her life.
In the intervening years, women have gained some rights. As this timely biography reminds us, we need to consider carefully where we are going, and what kind of Egypt will our great-grandchildren experience.


Sadat chronicles the post-story of contemporary Egypt in vivid narrative non-fiction. Readers will no doubt learn a thing or two. They will be in turn captivated by triumphs and dismayed by lost opportunities.


"Today such breakthroughs are nowhere in evidence. Realism has been replaced with empty rhetoric on the part of political leaders, who claim they want peace but impose unrealistic preconditions for achieving it, or they continue to act in ways that threaten the viability of the two-state solution they endorse," she pointedly contends. Peace with Likud was possible in Sadat's day. Not that anyone at the time expected it to happen.

The author purports that her book answers a set of three challenges: Sadat's faith; the role women play in that faith; and whether or not peace in the Middle East is just an unattainable dream.

"Since 1985, I have been lecturing, teaching and fund- raising to further that dream," Sadat who lectures at University of Maryland extrapolates. "I teach a class about the status of women in the Middle East, mainly about Egypt."


"Part memoir of her husband's courageous initiative to recognise Israel's right to exist which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, but cost him his life," Henry Kissinger aptly put it.


"I have been both praised and excoriated for being a 'feminist', hailed as a pioneer for women's rights in the Arab world and deplored as a destroyer of families, accused of being a mere mouthpiece for my husband and also an undue influence on him. For better or worse, I have been a polarising figure, primarily for my ideas about and work on behalf of women and the family."


By the time Sadat was assassinated in 1981, his widow had demonstrated remarkable political acumen in her own right.


It has not all been smooth sailing. "In the wake of my husband's death all my 'progressive' ideas have been put to the test." It is still a man's world, she chuckles. "I'm the proverbial eternal optimist."

The book is also testament to that truism that terrorism is repudiated by the overwhelming majority of Muslims. There was jubilation in many quarters when Sadat was gunned down. Such displays of naïve enthusiasm proved short-lived.

The Muslim Brotherhood, oiled by Gulf wealth and remittances, came to fill the political void created by the erosion of the revolutionary fervor of Arab nationalism cum socialism in the wake of the devastating defeat of 1967.


"Gamal Abdel-Nasser was a great nationalist leader. We all loved him. We fondly remember him." But, she hastens to add, "He incarcerated many of the Brothers, some say he tortured them."


"Sadat accepted government in line with Islamic Sharia law. Yet he was an enlightened ruler. He was not a religious zealot. He was not fanatical."

"They did not kill him because he was irreligious. Nor was it because he hounded the Brothers. They assassinated him because he espoused the path of peace."
She pauses. "That is why they had to get rid of him."

Jehan Sadat is a strikingly attractive woman, bint balad -- a bubbly and buoyant daughter of the land. So what is the secret of her beauty? She swims daily and walks one hour in the morning, she says laughingly.

And then she turns dead serious. "It is my faith." She is not fanatical, though. She herself doesn't wear the hijab, but neither would she object if her daughters or granddaughters don the hijab. She says that her niece is veiled, but that as long as that is her personal choice that is no business of hers. She abjures the participation of her children in politics, especially her son Gamal.

But for a savvy cosmopolitan modern woman, she discloses her deference to kismet. "During my hajj, the temperatures in Mecca soared above 105 degrees. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the emotions I felt the moment I took my first step as a hajj pilgrim into the confines of the most sacred sanctuary of Islam," she expounds on her deepening faith.

"As I stepped slowly and effortlessly into the Grand Mosque, I was lifting my heart and soul in praise of God. Tears of joy were running down my face as I whispered my prayer of devotion. For the first time in my life, I felt as if every ounce of my being was completely at peace."

She pauses ponderously. "I was just a speck in that sea of humanity."

And here's the new baby.....5 day old Ko Raya

Here's 1 photo for each day of her life.

Five days old Asian elephant Ko Raya is presented to the public for the first time at the Berlin Zoo, March 20, 2009. Her mother is Pangpha.

I'm shy......

My Favorite Elephant Story

Pictured: Elephants march through hotel lobby after it was built on their migration trail

Last updated at 5:54 PM on 01st October 2008

These amazing pictures show why you shouldn't get between an African elephant and its favourite food.

Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia happens to have been built next to a mango tree that one family of pachyderms have always visited when the fruit ripens.

When they returned one year and found the luxury accommodation in the way, they simply walked through reception.

Let the porter grab your trunk: An elephant wanders through Mfuwe Lodge, in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Now the family group, headed by matriarch Wonky Tusk, return every November to gorge on mangos - up to four times a day.

Andy Hogg, 44, director at the Bushcamp Company that runs the Lodge, has lived in South Luangwa National Park since 1982. But in all his years of dealing with wild animals he has never seen such intimate interaction between man and beast.

'This is the only place in the world where elephants freely get so close to humans,' says the 44-year-old. 'The elephants start coming through base camp in late November of each year to eat the mangos from our trees. (Our trees....is he crazy??!)

'When they are ripe they come through and they stand about for four to six weeks coming back each day or second day to eat the mangos.'

Living in the 5,000 square mile national park, the ten-strong elephant herd are led to the lodge each day by Wonky Tusk.

Migration route: The hotel was built directly in the path of the elephants' route to one of their favourite foods - mangos

'The most interesting thing about this is that they are wild animals and are certainly not tame,' explains Andy. 'They come through the lodge to eat the fruit. 'There are ten in that herd and it is only that herd that comes through. It is a strange thing. 'The matriarchal in the herd is Wonky Tusk, and she brings the nine others through and they come and go as they please.'

Mfuwe Lodge consists of seven camps and the base camp where the elephants come through.
Employing 150 staff, the management of the lodge are happy to report that there have been no incidents involving the elephants to date.

'The elephants do get reasonably close to the staff as you can see with the pictures of the elephants near the reception,' he explains.
'But we do not allow the guests to get too close.'

Check-in: But it's unlikely the lodge has a room big enough for its elephant guests.

'Guests can stand in the lounge are but as long as there is a barrier between the elephants and the guests that is okay,' he added. 'The elephants are not aggressive but you don't want to tempt anything as they are wild animals.

'It is the elephants choice to come into base camp and they have been doing it for the last ten years. 'There are other wild mango trees around and they seem to prefer this one.'
And even thought the lodge was unwittingly built upon the path, Andy says they had no idea the elephants would insist on returning.

'It wasn't a design mistake - no-one really knew they were going to come through,' he says.
'The lodge was built and then the elephants started coming through afterwards.

Gentle giants: The leader of the ten-strong herd is matriarch Wonky Tusk

'We keep people at a safe distance. They are obviously close enough to see what is going on from pretty close quarters but we also make sure we have staff around to make sure the elephants don't get too close.

'But as I said they are still wild and still dangerous. They are huge beasts and untamed.
'We have bricks and walls between the elephants and the guests such as the counter and other barriers to stop them getting to people and if they try to there is enough time for people to get away.'

Naturally, the lodge becomes a busier attraction for both elephants and guests during November time. 'We find that we get more people visiting us during the elephant migration because of the unique experience of being so close to wild animals in an unusual environment,' says Andy.
'But as I said this is a totally natural phenomenon, the elephants come here of their own accord and it is certainly a rare but magnificent sight.'

Mfuwe Lodge: The hotel is set in an idyllic national parkland

Somali Cerics Reject Bin Laden Call

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed

By MOHAMED SHEIKH NOR, Associated Press Writer Mohamed Sheikh Nor,

Fri Mar 20, 11:40 am ET
MOGADISHU, Somalia – A group of influential Somali Islamic clerics has rejected Osama bin Laden's call to Somalis to overthrow the country's new president, the group's leader said on Friday.

Bin Laden issued a statement Thursday that outlined al-Qaida's ambitions in Somalia, which the United States has long feared to be a haven for the terror network. In the audiotape, bin Laden called Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed a turncoat and tool of the United States.

U.S. counterterrorism officials have warned of al-Qaida's growing ties with Somalia's powerful al-Shabab militants, who frequently battle government troops and attack African Union peacekeepers in the country. Last year, the U.S. State Department added al-Shabab, which means "the Youth," to its list of foreign terrorist organizations.

Somalia has been torn apart by warlords and Islamic militant groups for nearly two decades. In January, parliament elected Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, in hopes that he would unify the country's factions.

"Somalis are tired of war and want law and order", said Sheik Bashir Ahmed Salad, leader of the Council of Correction and Reconciliation.

"We clearly condemn Sheik Osama's statement. It was unfair that he (Osama bin Laden) ignored the role of the ulema (clerics)," Salad told The Associated Press.

"We as 'ulema' (clerics) are the eyes and ears of the entire Somali population and we emphasize that we are tired of wars and violence. We want and support the government led by (President) Sheik Sharif (Sheik Ahmed)," Salad said. "This country belongs to Somalis, who are 100 percent Muslims. ... Our interest is law and order."

The Council of Correction and Reconciliation is an influential group of Islamic clerics that is not allied to any Islamic militia. It has in recent months been mediating among the rival Islamic groups to get them to stop fighting each other as the ensuing violence puts civilians in more danger.

Most Somalis are moderate and chafe against rules prohibiting music, sports and even chewing qat, a narcotic leaf popular in Somalia.

The United Nations and Washington have welcomed Ahmed's election as president. His predecessor, Abdullahi Yusuf, resigned in December over his failure to stop the Islamic insurgency and went into exile.

Ahmed is from the Islamist opposition and has succeeded in drawing several other groups out of the insurgency. The aim is to isolate Somalia's hard-line militants, particularly al-Shabab, which controls large chunks of the country and has been blamed for imposing a harsh brand of Islam on the regions it controls.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

Pink elephant is caught on camera- Follow it's lead

The little pink calf was spotted in amongst an 80-strong elephant herd

By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC News
A pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana.

A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta. Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants. They are unsure of its chances of long-term survival - the blazing African sunlight may cause blindness and skin problems for the calf.

Mike Holding, who spotted the baby while filming for a BBC wildlife programme, said: "We only saw it for a couple of minutes as the herd crossed the river.

"This was a really exciting moment for everyone in camp. We knew it was a rare sighting - no-one could believe their eyes."

Documented evidence
Albino elephants are not usually white, but instead they have more of a reddish-brown or pink hue.
While albinism is thought to be fairly common in Asian elephants, it is much less common in the larger African species.

Elephants Without Borders
Ecologist Dr Mike Chase, who runs conservation charity Elephants Without Borders, said: "I have only come across three references to albino calves, which have occurred in Kruger National Park in South Africa.

"This is probably the first documented sighting of an albino elephant in northern Botswana.
"We have been studying elephants in the region for nearly 10 years now, and this is the first documented evidence of an albino calf that I have come across."

He said that the condition might make it difficult for the calf to survive into adulthood.

"What happens to these young albino calves remains a mystery," said Dr Chase.
"Surviving this very rare phenomenon is very difficult in the harsh African bush. The glaring sun may cause blindness and skin problems." However, he told BBC News that there might be a ray of hope for the pink calf as it already seemed to be learning to adapt to its condition.

Dr Chase explained: "Because this elephant calf was sighted in the Okavango Delta, he may have a greater chance of survival. He can seek refuge under the large trees and cake himself in a thick mud, which will protect him from the Sun.

"Already the two-to-three-month-old calf seems to be walking in the shade of its mother.

"This behaviour suggests it is aware of its susceptibility to the harsh African sun, and adapted a unique behaviour to improve its chances of survival."

He added: "I have learned that elephants are highly adaptable, intelligent and masters of
survival."

The baby elephant seems to be sheltering under its mother

to protect itself from the sun.

Now Darlings ~ If a baby pink elephant is intelligent enough to realize his situation and adapt in order to survive in the harsh Botswana bush....guess what that says about you and your capabilities during these challenging times of change?

It just astounds me, how humans want to forget our amazing abilities to adapt, and expand into greater options, and demonstrate our flexibility.

On this point we really differ from our teachers the elephants. For they don't forget what's important in the scheme of Life.

Yes!!! You too. Just like these wonderful creatures, in the words of that song from Third World ~ You've Got the Power!

We can adapt, and flow into new ways of Being with ease, if we choose to.

Rest in that awareness, and demonstrate it.

Don't join the pity parties, and the moanin' choirs of mass ignorance. Speaking despair and dismay, will keep you in that state.

This ain't nothin' to us....

Follow Nature's example offered here, and BE like the elephants. Just keep on crossing those rivers, until you look up and realize, you are deep within the shady valley of your 'Promised Land'.

love u~

Kentke

Long may they live~One for the Nature at It's Best File

Our thanks go out to our herding mentor and best friend Judy, who shared the sweet story below.

Black bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three.

In 2007, in northern New Hampshire , a black bear Sow gave birth to five healthy young. There were two or three reports of sows with as many as four cubs, but five was, and is, extraordinary.

I learned of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set myself a goal of photographing all five cubs with their mom no matter how much time and effort was involved. I knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a day, seven days a week, for six weeks, I had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them.

I used the equivalent of a very fast film speed on my digital camera. The print is properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they were in a studio for a family portrait.

I stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, I found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK.

I stayed away from the bears as I was concerned that they might become habituated to me, or to people in general, as approachable friends. This could be dangerous for both man and animal.

After Halloween I received no further reports and could only hope the bears survived until they hibernated.

This spring, before the snow disappeared, all six bears came out of their den and wandered the same familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007.

I saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking another family portrait, an improbable second once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

On April 25, 2008 I achieved my dream.

When something as magical as this happens between man and animal, Native Americans say, 'We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow.'

And so it is with humility and great pleasure that I share these photos with you.
Sincerely Tom Sears

We all say Thank you Tom for your respectful capturing of Nature at her Best and sharing it with those of that can not witness such beauty with our own eyes.

Kentke

Happy Happy Happy Women's History Month 2009

Once again, we lead humanity to new heights,

confirming that evolution

still seeks to embody

a

Divine Ideal

~Hail to the New Standard~

First Lady of the United States of America

Michele Obama

Light into the Darkness

View from my window, taken 02/22/09.

Beloveds~

May this be a part of the foundation that keeps you grounded, inwardly focused, and moving ahead with joy, fun and confidence as you see these truths manifest in your Life. Practice knowing this. Test what is presented here. Print it out, carry it with you and apply it, for your heart's fulfillment.

These are all the main points which I underlined reading from this article. You might want to pick up the March issue of Science of Mind Magazine. You can then make your own interpretations as it specifically relates to your thinking and situation. I have loved receiving this publication thru subscription for almost twenty years. You can also pick one up at Agape in L. A., or a Science of Mind Church or Spiritual Living Center near you.

Love, Kentke

From Light into the Darkness

By Ernest Holmes

We are not going through a harder time today...It only seems darker because we have lost faith---
Faith is built up from belief, acceptance and trust.
Our mind must be steady in it's conviction that our life is some part of God, and that Spirit is incarnated in us.

The foundation for correct mental treatment is perfect God, perfect man (Me), perfect Being. Thought must be organized to fit this premise, and (all) conclusions must be built on this premise.

If we believe that Spirit, incarnated in us, can demonstrate, shall we be disturbed at what appears to contradict this? We shall often need to know that the truth that we announce is superior to the condition we are to change.
In other words, if we are speaking from the standpoint of the Spirit, then there can be no opposition to It. It is only when we let go of all human will, and recognize the pure essence of the Spiritual Principle incarnated in us, that thought rises above a belief in duality.
We should constantly vitalize our faith by the knowledge that the Eternal is incarnated in us; that God Himself/Cosmic Consciousness/Divine Love Intelligence goes forth anew into creation through each one of us; and that in such degree as we speak the Truth, the Almighty has spoken.

It is wonderful to contemplate the menatl attitude of peopel who are not afraid to believe their prayers will be answered, and who are not afraid to say, "I know".

There is nothing in the universal order that denies the individual's good, or self-expression, so long as such self-expression does not contradict the general good, does not contradict Good Itself.

The Universe remains unlimited, though the whole world has suffered a sense of limitation.

Because we fail to realize the Principle is not bound by precedent, we limit our faith to that which has already been accomplished......When through intuition, faith finds it's proper place under Divine Law, there are no limitations, and what are called miraculous results follow.

If we are to have an active faith----the faith of God instead of merely a faith in God---our thought must be centered in Universal Mind. We are convinced that under Divine Law all things are possible, if we only believe, and work in conformity with the principles of that Law. Such a faith, does not spring full-orbed into being, but grows by knowledge and experience.

No matter what the outside appearance, we must cling steadfastly to the knowledge that God/Cosmic Mind is good, and God is All (there is), underneath, above, (within) and round about (us).