The Curse of The Urban Legend

For all the valuable information available on the internet and the opportunities for learning and spreading knowledge there are also equal opportunities for those who are sick and mean-spirited to cause pain and spread lies. Many of the things that circulate on the internet are absolutely false and many are obscene, viciously mean, character assassinations with no basis in reality. You can check out most (but not all) on several websites dedicated to debunking these lies which are commonly termed “Urban Legends”. Snopes.com is one of the most reputable sites used for that purpose. You simply enter the person’s name and to narrow the search, include one key word regarding the claim.

For example, one popular urban legend involves Lee Marvin, Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan), and Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers fame. This story makes several false claims about each but most glaring are the claims about Mr. Rogers who, in addition to this false claim, is the victim of several sick rumors.

Mr. Rogers was not a Navy Seal with 25 “kills” to his record and he didn’t wear a long sleeve sweater to cover up tattoos. And the reason he did not have a live audience of children was not because he was a convicted pedophile, etc., etc.

Why would anyone tell these lies about someone so revered by the American public? How sick are these people who delight in attempting to destroy a person’s character and reputation? And why does the PBS attract the ire of the most ignorant of conservatives?

Mr.’ Rogers was apparently one of the most gentle, compassionate and highly respected people to ever grace this planet. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he lived his life Buddha-like and, although he was human and may have had some secrets, they most likely were not anything as bad as most of us are guilty of.

Shortly before his death caused by stomach cancer Mr. Rogers, Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby all served as co-marshals of the 2003 Rose Bowl Parade. Bill Cosby tells this great story of the parade. Despite Cosby's star power he said he was humbled that day. He, Art Linkletter and Mr. Rogers were all riding in back of a convertible waving to the huge crowds that lined either side of the parade route. As they approached and passed by, the crowds would begin applauding and cheering - not for him or for Linkletter - but for Mr. Rogers. The crowds would call out “Welcome to our neighborhood, Mr. Rogers”. Some would sing,” It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood”.

Cosby recently said, “I just want you to know that Art Linkletter and I and Fred were riding in a '38 Packard in the Tournament of Roses parade, millions of people on both sides of the street for five and a half miles, and the one thing that I still remember is people waving and saying, 'Mister Rogers, welcome to the Neighborhood!'"

As for Bob Keeshan, most of us may remember he was also Clarabelle the Clown on the Howdy Doody Show before he played Captain Kangaroo on his own show. Keeshan spent a lot of time in Nashville years ago. I can’t recall why, probably music and book publishing, I’m not sure, but I think he had a residence here. Anyway, I met him once and would see him from time to time at music industry related events. His demeanor was the same as his TV character, Captain Kangaroo. A gentle spirit who owned any room the moment he walked in and immediately instilled a feeling of grace, gentleness and peace.

I’m sure it was even more pronounced when Fred Rogers entered a room.

Mystery on ebay

Why is one copy of a book published in 2006 bringing such a high price on ebay? It’s up to $127 and still has eight days left on the auction. What would make this recently published book so valuable? And who might eventually buy it no matter what price it bids up to? Who might be interested in making sure the content of this book and about 200 plus copies that were pre-released is never disclosed to the American people?

Are you curious about the book on ebay? Here’s the link to the ebay auction.

Do you ever wonder what nefarious undercurrents are in play that form and shape our society and our world? Could corruption and evil be entrenched at the highest level of world power, the office of the US president?

Have you ever heard of the ties between the Bush Family and the Saudis? Surely you heard that for two days after the 9/11 attacks all airliners were grounded and that only government and military aircraft were allowed to fly? Oh, that is except for a few private aircraft including the one that allowed the Saudi royals and eleven bin Ladin family members who were visiting or living in the US to escape to their homelands. Those were the only aircraft allowed to fly, the ones that collected the Saudis and hustled them out of the country. This was authorized by George W Bush.But why?

Why were the Saudi Royal and bin Ladin family members allowed to leave the country when no one else could? Did George W and his father Herbert W fear for the Saudi’s safety? What control over the Bush family do the Saudis have? Again, why were just the Saudis allowed to leave and no high ranking people from other countries?

After all, at that time we had no idea of who flew those planes into the twin towers and the Pentagon - did we? Why was only this select group of Saudis allowed to leave and not other Saudis and citizens of other Arabic nations that were living, visiting and studying here?

This quick exit of the Saudis became a known fact as a result of the 9/11 Commission Report. Why did the FBI and Bush Administration officials for more than three years deny it ever took place? The Bush Administration, the FBI, the FAA, and even defense contractor Raytheon knowingly lied in repeated denials regarding newspaper and magazine accounts of the “phantom flight." Why would Bush not want it known? What and who was he protecting?

This is a picture of the Lear jet that was used to fly the Saudis home. Why did George W authorize this quick escape of the Saudis? What did the Saudis fear? Why did the Saudis think it was imperative that they leave immediately? I mean, at the time no one including George W knew that 17 of the 19 hijackers trained and financed by Osama bin Ladin and his Al Qaeda organization were Saudis – or did they? Think about it. How could anyone have known in advance who it was that attacked us and what nationality they were? These guys were supposed to be just dust among the rubble of their targets. Sure, it could easily be assumed that bin Ladin and Al Queda was likely responsible - but how would anyone, George W or the Saudis here in the US, know the identities of these super-secret terrorists were Saudis?

The Saudis must have known or why would they immediately rush out of the country? George W must have known or why would he have immediately authorized the Saudis to leave when all other flights were grounded? And if he knew the hijackers were Saudis then he must have also known in advance that this attack was going to happen. It follows.

If you want the full details you can Google it or go to this link It may shock you to learn that, according to the FBI, Osama bin Ladin himself was likely the one who paid for the chartered flight.

As for the mysterious book on ebay, here is why it’s bringing such a high price.

New York Post

By Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld

August 8, 2007 -- THE Saudis' efforts to keep a veil of secrecy over their support for al Qaeda and Hamas got a shot in the arm last week, as a British publisher opted to suppress a controversial book on the financing of terror.

Facing the mere threat of a lawsuit from Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz, Cambridge University Press agreed to pulp all the unsold copies of "Alms of Jihad: Charity and Terrorism in the Islamic World," issue a public apology to Mahfouz and pay his legal expenses and substantial undisclosed damages.

The prestigious publisher - the world's oldest publishing house - had carefully vetted the book before publishing it last year. Yet now it has asked more than 200 libraries worldwide to pull the work off their shelves.

Bin Mahfouz never sued the authors, J. Millard Burr and Robert O. Collins, both U.S. citizens, who had provided their publisher with all the sources to back their allegations that bin Mahfouz, his family and his former bank, the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia, funded Hamas and al Qaeda. Yet Cambridge University Press still caved - and even asked the authors to join its apology to bin Mahfouz. (They rightly refused.)

Since March 2002, bin Mahfouz has sued or threatened suit in England at least 36 times against those who've linked him to terrorism, including many American authors and publications. Everyone settled with bin Mahfouz - except me.

He sued me in London in January 2004, shortly after my book "Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed - and How to Stop It" was published in the United States. I refused to acknowledge a British court's jurisdiction over a book published here; the court then ruled in bin Mahfouz's favor by default. It enjoined British publication of "Funding Evil," awarded bin Mahfouz $225,900 in damages and expenses and ordered that I publicly apologize and destroy the book. I still refuse to acknowledge the British Court and its ruling.

Will Jesus Be Allowed In Heaven?

No one should be surprised that not all people who believe in God are Christians but some Christians believe only they will enter the kingdom of heaven, that God does not recognize those of other God-fearing religions.Christians have no monopoly on God – or religion. Even Jesus himself was obviously not a “Christian”. He was a member of the Jewish faith who disagreed with some of the teachings and doctrine of his religion but he remained a practicing member of the Jewish religion. He wanted to reform the religion he was raised in, the faith of his father and mother; he didn't set out to create a new organized religion or sect. Others decided to do that after his death.So does that mean Jesus is not allowed in heaven? He wasn't a Christian. He practiced Judaism. 

Despite what they taught, not those back then who broke from Judaism and became Christians, nor any religious leaders since, have been ordained by God to tell the rest of us what to do or how to think when it comes to our belief in a supreme being. We are, at least for the time being, free to choose our faith and our religious beliefs of our own free will. I have to believe that was God’s plan. Free people should not be shamed, cowed, pressured, frightened, threatened or forced into accepting any particular religious doctrine against their will. And for those who profess a certain belief, just the fact you have made a decision to follow a particular religious doctrine does not make you anymore right than anyone else nor does it give you authority or power over them. God has not granted you that right and Christianity is not a state religion. That is the definition of fascism. The right-wing, fundamentalist Christian movement has embraced fascism in their overzealous attempt to take over the reins of our government and convert everyone to their belief. Jesus, who was liberal, and would not support right-wing views by any stretch of the imagination, was anything but a fascist and would reject most aspects of what the Christian religion has become.

Concerning matters of faith, a man-of-the-cloth once told me that having doubts regarding the stories told in the Bible is healthy. He opined that Christianity was alive and evolving and that doubt and ongoing debate was natural and necessary to keep it alive. How can criticism, doubt, debating factual evidence, and reasoning all be wonderful tools for intellectual pursuits but sinful when applied to the Bible? Did Jesus condemn Thomas for doubting? Did he strike him down or condemn him to hell?

Fundamentalist Christians tend to be ignorant concerning the teachings of Jesus and twist the words of the Bible to suit their needs. They foolishly belief that God has blessed them and them alone and that people of other faiths are damned to hell. How ignorant is that? They think only they and those of their particular denomination will walk the golden streets of heaven and the rest of the world’s people will spend an eternity writhing in the flames of hell. In short, they aren't much different than their radical counterparts, the fundamentalist Muslims.

They also indoctrinate their children from birth regarding their religious beliefs, not allowing their children to question or make any decisions of their own as to the logic or absurdity of the faith chosen for them - or if a faith is even required. Many young adults are conflicted by the expectations of their parents and the evidence they encounter as they reason their way through life.

Although I don’t suspect it would make any difference to the closed minds of your average born-again Christian, here are a few things that any professing Christian should consider –

1. Evolution is a scientific fact and religion should stay out of teaching religion/creationism in Public Schools. Religion/creationism is not even good theory and is about things that cannot be proven and must be accepted on faith. Creationism is not knowledge or science. State ordered religious dogma is fascist. Also, praying should not be scheduled and orchestrated by a public institution. Prayer can be practiced by anyone almost anywhere at any time. It doesn’t have to be an overt display. You can set quietly at your desk and pray. Who can deprive you? How do these "Christians" reconcile forced public prayer with Matthew 6:6 ? "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." Churches are allowed to have their own schools as long as they meet state and federal standards but they should stay out of the affairs of public schools.

2. Speaking of prayer, it only works when and if it changes us, when it moves our hearts and minds - it doesn’t work to change the world we live in. Show me one proof of prayer changing an event or physical property. Prayers do not produce material or physical miracles. Prayers don’t protect us, produce money, and keep bridges from collapsing or debt from consuming us – but hard work, right living, right thinking and being responsible does. Prayer should not be used to ask for things beyond our control but instead to ask for personal forgiveness, understanding, acceptance and compassion. If you truly accept God then you’ll let God take care of the rest.

3. The Bible should not be read literally because those who composed the writings that were assembled into the Bible were just men and they sometimes got it wrong. Some writings were considered for inclusion and rejected – not by God, but by the self proclaimed leaders of the church. The decision of which writings to include was mostly political and not decided by God. In many cases the books of the Bible were written by people who believed in religious myths and they used allegories to make simple points. We are more knowledgeable now. We now know the earth is round and it circles the sun. We know that thunder, lighting, floods, tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes are not God venting his anger, these are naturally occurring events caused by climatic and geological interactions sometimes triggered by environmental disturbance caused by man. It’s ludicrous to think a book as superstition-ridden, prurient, disjointed, rambling and full of mistakes and contradictions as is the Bible is one that God personally supervised and intended.

4. The miracles in the Bible are not to be taken literally as many can be explained as natural phenomena or just myths appropriated from earlier pagan religions. All cultures have created fictional stories to teach and support traditional and cultural views. Even Jesus openly used parables, which are made up stories, to make his points.

5. Biblical and religious salvation is different depending on the person and that person’s circumstances. Why would a person have to be a Christian to enter heaven? Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus wasn’t a Christian.

6. Religion has traditionally held women down, especially fundamentalist sects, and it's time for that to end. Men should not have any more rights than a woman. A woman’s right to choose is sovereign to her freedom. And all children should be our priority, not just unborn American children.

7. Homosexuality has been present throughout history. Most likely all homosexuals are born with easily triggered genetic propensities. Old Testament references to homosexuality are to be discounted. Why not? We discount other outdated, superstitious and ignorant Old Testament instructions. New Testament references are all about pedophilia, not adult homosexuality. The fact is Jesus never talked about homosexuality. Besides, why is it acceptable for men and women to use various means to satisfy sexual urges but not two people of the same gender? It’s not my cup of tea but it’s no skin off my ass if two women or two men want to get each other off. Is it un-natural? One could argue that any form of sex other than procreative sex is un-natural. If I remember correctly, only our near relatives the chimpanzees and perhaps some other species of monkey engage in sex for enjoyment.

8. If you believe in God then you should accept that God knows who needs Christianity or who will find God utilizing a different path. Jesus didn't claim to be the only way to God and the apostle Paul agreed with this. It was later Christians who decided otherwise. Jesus reputedly said “the kingdom of God/Heaven is within”. You don’t need a church, or a mediator, or someone’s permission to go within. Believing the only path to go within and the only way to find God is through Christianity or the church doesn’t make sense. Jesus would not approve.

9. There is no hell except in your mind. You create hell for yourself and for other people. Stop now! God is Love – Love is God. Jesus called himself the son of man and he talked about returning to whence he came and being with God as he was before the world was made – and Jesus claimed we are all sons of man. Why wouldn't it be the same for us? In essence, assuming there is a God and assuming we are more than our physical bodies, weren't we all with God before we came into the world and isn't it likely we will return there when we leave this existence?

10. Jesus was born a man, and as a man he was subject to being fallible. He admitted his temptations. He obviously didn't know everything or he would not have cried, “Father, if it is your will let this cup pass from me’, and, at the last “Father,why hast thou forsaken me?” If in fact he did say those things.

The books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the New Testament even vary their accounts of Jesus. As example, for Jesus’ last words on the cross, Luke makes no mention that Jesus’ said anything other than, “Father, into my hands I commend my spirit.” John says that Jesus said simply, “It is finished.” Yet Matthew and Mark both say he cried out loudly something akin to, “Father, why hast thou forsaken me.” As a story writer that has a more dramatic twist. Poetic license?

Three different accounts. Wouldn't God in his infinite wisdom, when he allegedly inspired those to write the books of the Bible, have made sure that there was only one factual account or that all agreed with each other? Why would God allow confusion - because he works in mysterious ways? Why would God insist on being mysterious? Why would God allow the Koran, the Vedas, and the Book of Mormon, etc. to complicate things if only the Bible was his true word? And if God really had a hand in the Bible why didn't God just cut through the crap and be clear, accurate, articulate, concise and straightforward so we would know without a doubt that this is the true word of God? Give me a break!

If you look at the heavens and the world of nature, not the world of man, you’ll see a synchronicity beyond understanding, a wondrous complexity, a harmony and balance of amazing proportions and beauty. Accepting that God, whoever and whatever God is, created all this it’s not hard to conceive that God really is omnipotent and perfect. But when I look at man and see the destruction and chaos caused by man’s disregard for and destruction of God’s creation; and when I look at the world religions and see all the conflict, confusion, ambiguities, flaws, contradictions and disharmony they cause; and when I see all the divisiveness and hatred imbued in them; and when I see all the wars and violence, corruption and evil that have been committed in the name of God, I can only believe that man, not God, is behind this madness.

TMA or Text Messaging Abbreviations

CMIIW (correct me if I’m wrong) but FWIW (for what it’s worth) it seems us SC (senior citizens) sometimes referred to as OF (old fogies) or in the case of old women, BH (blue hairs), who are approaching are or well into our GY (golden years), in order to SIT (stay in touch) with the youth of today who delight in KPC (keeping parents clueless), we need to BUOOTMS (brush up on our text messaging skills) if we want to KWTFTKAM (know what the fuck these kids are messaging) to one another.

Below is a link to TMA (text message abbreviations) to HYD (help you decipher) the CAC (concise abbreviated communications) that are TOC (turning our children) into EDI (electronically dependent idiots) who SMOTT (spend most of their time) with TEGTACS (their eyes glued to a computer screen) RT (rather than) LISE (looking into someone’s eyes) and SDTS (speaking directly to someone), SWTV (speaking with their voice) and IWARLP (interacting with a real living person); PETE (physically expressing their emotions) and SWTF (smiling with their face) rather than a CGI (computer generated icon), TWTH (touching with their hands) and IP (interacting physically) rather than IAK (inserting a keyboard) in between them and the RW (real world).

WIMBC (while it may be convenient) IDTIH (I don’t think it’s healthy) and IFO (I for one) TIEI (think it’s extremely important) that WPTOFW (we preserve the old fashion ways of communicating) with one another BWE (before we evolve) ILMT (into little more than) EROBRC (emotionless robots operated by remote control) from some ACTS (advanced communications technology satellite) controlled by someone like a DMCAC (delusional, manic, cold and crazed) DUBYA (dumb-ass, underachieving, Bi-polar, Yalie Asshole) WTTAOBG (who thinks they are ordained by God) to RTE (rule the earth) and AIBOTFCDW (assist in bringing on the fanatical Christian death wish) of the IDOTWASOR (imminent destruction of the world and the salvation of the righteous) Rapture as outlined in TBOR (the book of Revelations).

TAYITE (to assist you in the endeavor) of DTM (deciphering text messaging) IHPTL ( I have provided this link ) to AGTUOCA&SF (a guide to understanding online chat acronyms and smiley faces).

B4N, RTB,

LY,

G