Jing-reed's Musings from Thailand

Vacation from Reality

'The Nation', a respected magazine since the late 1800's, in addition to having an online version now also publishes a several 'blog' versions, my personal favorite being 'The Online Beat'.  Timely articles written intelligence, insight, and with its legendary emphasis on the pulse of the American people and nation as a whole.

'The President's Vacation From Reality' by John Nichols, posted on Aug. 11, is just such an article.

"George Bush is on vacation in Crawford, Texas, taking the same August-long break that he did in the summer before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The appeal of Crawford appears to be that it provides the President with an opportunity to put aside all the troubles of the world and to focus on fixing fences and clearing brush. After all, it was during his previous vacation that Bush ignored an August 6, 2001, briefing document titled: "Bin Laden determined to attack inside the U.S."

"Bush's inner circle, a collection of neoconservative ideologues with an agenda of their own rather than an interest in what is best for the United States, made no effort in 2001 to steer the President's attention toward pressing matters of national security. And they remain determined to keep the woefully disengaged chief executive focused on busy work around the ranch rather than life-and-death questions of how this country should position itself in a complex and dangerous world.
...

"George Bush has been listening for too long to Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condi Rice. He should take a real vacation from the neocon fantasy factory of his misguided aides and sit down with someone who can introduce him to the reality of what is going on in Iraq and the world. The President should meet with Cindy Sheehan. And he should listen to this woman, who has sacrificed more than he or anyone in his inner circle ever has for America."

Cindy Sheehan

A grieving Northern California mother's vigil near President Bush's Texas ranch is putting a human face on the toll of the Iraq war as she brings worldwide attention to her anguish.

Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville began camping in a ditch along the road leading to Crawford, Texas, on Saturday, determined to confront Bush over the death of her son Casey, a 24-year-old Army specialist who was killed in Sadr City on April 4, 2004.

That a grieving woman seeks to speak to the president or that she opposes the war is hardly news as the war rages in its third year. But the image of an anguished 48-year-old mother standing outside the vacation home of the most powerful leader in the world, asking him to explain her son's death, is compelling and has caught the attention of millions of people worldwide.

If given the chance, Sheehan said, she has three things she wants to tell the president.

She wants to ask him what "noble cause" her son died for; she wants to ask him if the cause is so noble, has he encouraged his own daughters to enlist; and she wants to tell him to stop saying the way to honor the troops killed in Iraq is to complete the mission.

"The only way they can honor my son's sacrifice is by bringing the troops home,'' she said.

The Secret Magdalene

As many who know me well are aware, I rarely have a good word for organized religion, and yet will often curl up with a book which concerns man’s search for spirituality. 

Recently read ‘The Secret Magdalene’ by Ki Longfellow and now weeks later I can still feel the vibrancy of that ancient time and her incredible life.  Not perhaps the Magdalene most are familiar with, but one whose life, words, ideas and world will transform all who encounter her in this phenomenal adventure.

Have been partial to historical novels since first encountering Mika Waltari’s ‘The Egyptian’ as an adolescent.  “I, Sinhue, the son of Senmut and his wife Kipa, write this...” and I had entered another time and a fascinating world.  Now more than half a century later I have discovered the exciting and very real world of Yeshu and Magdalene, and all those whose lives they encountered along the way and how each in turn was changed.  I felt that I was present as the ideas and concepts of Gnosticism were born and developed.  Indeed, I was changing as the protagonists changed.

A thought provoking work of infinite beauty.  Not just the exquisite telling of a incredible story, but an experience.  And one which I will return to again and again.