and the war marches on

All regular programming on CBC Radio One has been replaced by constant coverage of the US-led invasion of Iraq. I used to keep the radio on all day, but I don't feel like being constantly reminded of this drama by their coverage. CBC probably hypes up the war to a lesser degree than do the other major news sources, but I still don't feel like listening to it all the time.

Having said that, it's hard not to think a lot about Iraq anyway, especially with respect to how much it appears to be affecting so many people not directly involved in the event. Somewhat akin to September 11th, I get a distinct sense that much of the world's attention is focused on events in Iraq this week, and I wonder if such a significant alignment of conscious thought, even on opposing sides of the same issue, might be significant in some way to our evolution.

I don't mean to sound all airy-fairy or anything, I just mean that it's possibly helpful for the evolution of the human psyche to enjoin our thoughts simultaneously in such ways. It might help to create a certain resonation of our psychic energy that will nudge us a bit farther forward in our evolution.

It's not that these events are overly significant in and of themselves, though; it's more just that if our perception of these events is such and that if a lot of us feel that way at the same time, it might bring about certain small changes in the way we think. It might help us to evaluate our impulses a bit more before we act on them; it might help us to develop a deeper sense of compassion towards each other; it might help us to connect with our neighbours a little more easily than we did once before.

What the Bush and Blair administrations are doing in Iraq is a totally separate issue, of course. They're living out their own strange karma, to be sure. But it's helpful if the witnessing of their actions brings about a clearer witnessing of our own. With the increased objectivity that results from witnessing our own thoughts and actions instead of identifying ourselves with them, we more easily walk a middle path that peacefully reflects the interdependent nature of our lives here on Earth.

cynical, but funny

http://www.livejournal.com/users/chaizzilla/475739.html

A beautiful take on Abbot and Costello's "Who's on first?" routine

A WARMONGER EXPLAINS WAR TO A PEACENIK
By Victor Forsythe Dedicated to the Love it or Leave it crowd

(contributed to Nasrudin list by Lobster)

PeaceNik Why did you say we are we invading Iraq?

WarMonger We are invading Iraq because it is in violation of security council resolution 1441. A country cannot be allowed to violate security council resolutions.

PN But I thought many of our allies, including Israel, were in violation of more security council resolutions than Iraq.

WM It's not just about UN resolutions. The main point is that Iraq could have weapons of mass destruction, and the first sign of a smoking gun could well be a mushroom cloud over NY.

PN Mushroom cloud? But I thought the weapons inspectors said Iraq had no nuclear weapons.

WM Yes, but biological and chemical weapons are the issue.

PN But I thought Iraq did not have any long range missiles for attacking us or our allies with such weapons.

WM The risk is not Iraq directly attacking us, but rather terrorists networks that Iraq could sell the weapons to.

PN But couldn't virtually any country sell chemical or biological materials? We sold quite a bit to Iraq in the eighties ourselves, didn't we?

WM That's ancient history. Look, Saddam Hussein is an evil man that has an undeniable track record of repressing his own people since the early eighties. He gasses his enemies. Everyone agrees that he is a power-hungry lunatic murderer.

PN We sold chemical and biological materials to a power-hungry lunatic murderer?( read on, it's soooo worth it )

Good night Baghdad

From tonight's highlights; an homage to the children's book Goodnight Moon (we read it to Z every night!)

Oh, little crown of iron forged to likeness of imam's face,
what are you doing in this circle of flaming inspectors and bakers?

And little burnt dinner all set to be eaten
(and crispy girl all dressed with scarf for school),
what are you doing near this shovel for dung-digging,
hissing like ice-cubes in ruins of little museum?

And little shell of bank on which flakes of assets fall,
can't I still withdraw my bonds for baby?

Good night moon.
Good night socks and good night cuckoo clocks.

Good night little bedpans and a trough where once there was an inn
(urn of dashed pride),
what are you doing beside little wheelbarrow
beside some fried chickens?

And you, ridiculous wheels spinning on mailman's truck,
truck with ashes of letter from crispy girl all dressed with scarf for school,
why do you seem like American experimental poets going nowhere
on little exercise bikes?

Good night barbells and ballet dancer's shoes
under plastered ceilings of Saddam Music Hall.

Good night bladder of Helen Vendler and a jar from Tennessee.
(though what are these doing here in Baghdad?)

Good night blackened ibis and some keys.
Good night, good night.

(And little mosque popped open like a can, which same as factory of
flypaper has blown outward, covering the shape of man with it (with
mosque): He stumbles up Martyr's Promenade. What does it matter
who is speaking, he murmurs and mutters, head a little bit on fire.
Good night to you too.)

Good night moon.
Good night poor people who shall inherit the moon.

Good night first editions of Das Kapital, Novum Organum,
The Symbolic Affinities between Poetry Blogs and Oil Wells,
and the Koran.

Good night nobody.

Good night Mr. Kent, good night, for now you must
soon wake up and rub your eyes and know that you are dead.