Hypnotist Shows

At the local county fair was a hypnotist show. I find it amazing how one can find so many people to do as he commands. I did notice there were one or two people in the group of 10 victims that didn't seem to follow along and they were removed from the show (quickly with no objections)

This show reminds me of the time back in 1987 at the University of Montana, as a freshman in psychology, we were hypnotized in mass one day in class, they wanted to see how many of us could be hypnotized and those who could were asked to stay behind for further study. Let’s say I was not one of them. I was sort of disappointed.

What kind of person does it take to be hypnotized? Today during my long walk I thought maybe it was because I was a rational person I was not able to be hypnotized. Maybe that explains partly why only one or two people in the show could not be hypnotized, maybe they were too rationalistic to fall for it? Out of ten that is 10, 20 percent each time. Could that be why there is only less than 20% of the population that is not gullible?
If you want help to find the truth go see James Randi
http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/hypnotism_hypnosis.html

Here I cite a webpage that tries to explain what hypnotism is?
Harris, Tom. "How Hypnosis Works." 07 August 2001. HowStuffWorks.com. 29 July 2009.

Followers

Just to inform my favorite (only) 3 followers, I don't know what happend but I can no longer see you on my page. When I sign on to post it shows I still have 3, but then on the blog itself your missing. Bummer.

Does anyone know how to fix that? Did I get hacked?

The Mojave Cross

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/mojave.asp
I love Snopes, but
I read the snopes article about the law suit over the Mojave cross. It was a very good one, trying to stay neutral until the very last sentence.

In the lawsuit the ACLU they properly state that the cross violates the establishment clause. Its specifically a Christian symbol and does not apply to all those whom it ostensibly represents (war memorial) Being a war veteran myself, I agree. Not all veterans are Christian and I will be pissed if they put a cross over me when I die. My husband should know better. (what if I die in a car crash will the Legion put a cross where I bit it whether or not I want it?)

Of course this is very controversial and very unpopular. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to the Christian majority. Who it seems will do anything to win. What about the native Americans in the area, they should also be offended.

In the last sentence of the Snopes article it says "It will be up to Obama administration lawyers to defend the Interior Department's right to maintain the cross".

The department's right?! That is the whole point of the lawsuit. The Government is not supposed to have it on public land in the first place. They don't have the right to maintain a religious monument for America's war hero's.

It drives me crazy, I don't care if the Christians have their own crosses, or whatever else on their private land, but they insist on being un-american and ignore the 1st amendments protection of their very own beliefs. The battle continues everywhere because its popular for politicians and the clergy to look good by standing up to us godless people whether its right or wrong. It does not matter to them, it means an angry flock and votes.

Suggested Reading

It was suggested to me, if I like to read books that I should read the Holy Qur'an. I do have a copy I picked up in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the many holy books I have collected over the years. It's a pretty book, but I have no time to read it. Nor do I want to make the time for that matter. Life is to short to spend time reading something someone else thinks I should. Now if I was a religous scholar maybe then I would have to read all of them and study them. That is a lifetime in itself. And give me a break, theologians can't agree what means what in them.

I have not, like most American's, have read the Holy Bible all the way through.(thats what the clergy does) I have read about and heard enough pieces and parts of it to know it's an ancient book for people who like to use it to beat people over the head with, knowing full well very few people really know what is in it.

I started to read it once after I became a Born Again Christian years ago and put it down shaken after I read about the genocide (still going on) the Old Testament God commanded. I tried to continue but gave up halfway through the list of begets.
I actually would like more people to try and read the whole Bible or Qur'an. Sometimes when a modern person reads it, they are horrified by what’s in it (like me) and lose faith. I don't think today’s enlightened, kind and compassionate humans could possibly accept what is written in the so called Holy books and still think they’re a good moral guide.

For sectarian folk I suggest reading "Asimov's Guide to the Bible" for the secular, "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong.
For those of you who don't read any books, to my consternation, try the web page "Athiest Guide to the Bible" http://www.atheistguide.com/

Marriage

Buffy from the Atheist Nexus hit the nail on the head.
Marriage is about rights, privileges and responsibilities.

I agree, marriage is a social contract between two people. Being married myself, it is important for my husband and I to remember what being married means. If one cannot and does not want to live by the rules of what really holds a marriage together than they should not marry. I'm not talking about the traditional rules of marriage, such as the woman staying barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. I am talking about mutual respect within a domestic partnership. Recently I had to "talk' to my husband about our marriage. I told him I needed a husband more than a handyman/boyfriend. He has been spending more and more away doing things by himself to the point it was as if I was a single mom. We have two kids and felt I needed to remind him he was a father and a husband, not just Jason. He agreed. I had to remind him that he is part of a family, whom he does love but just got too busy living his own life. Marriage is not easy; I think that is why so many don't work out. Very few people seem to be able to compromise and make the necessary sacrifices to make it successful. A happy marriage is between two people who love each other even if sometimes they don't like each other some of the time.

Palin

poll by USA Today/Gallup indicates that seven in 10 Americans say Palin's decision had no affect on their opinion of her.

Bet on a losing horse! maybe.