I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Enjoyful

Well darnit, I can't paste the article url.  If anyone's interested, it was a Newsweek article.

River_Rat

E, was this the article?

Bergdahl Reportedly Spent Long Periods in Solitary Confinement

Edited to add that I'm pretty sure I've linked the correct below Jackie's post.

IllinoisLady

Good morning -- reminding myself that it is good because of that special button.  Finding lots of agreement with Alexandria, RL and so many people here.  We do have to stand up for values and ethics that matter to us.  We have to live in harmony -- only happens when lies and deceits are not in the picture.  Sounds so easy, but takes a lot of effort and work. 

Jackie

River_Rat

Or maybe this one?

The Truth Behind the Prisoner Swap

Enjoyful

Thank you, R_R!  It was "The Truth Behind the Prisoner Swap."  Things are never as simple as they seem, and this article does a good job summarizing the ins and outs.

River_Rat

E, just finished reading and it does explain things fairly clearly - not that everyone would agree but it does show the reasoning and the precedent.

Enjoyful

An article about the Las Vegas killings:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/09/las-vegas-shooting-officers-dead-possible-white-supremacists/

I know it's Fox News and all, but it's the only article I saw that mentioned the killers' possible ties to the Cliven Bundy standoff.  To the Bundys' credit, they are assisting the police in identifying the shooters.

Enjoyful

Exactly, R_R, some of the article is opinion but I learned more about the history of prisoner swaps and the reasons behind them.

gardengumby

Great article.  Thank-you, both E! and RR.  Things are seldom as simplistic as they appear - one of the reasons I don't like twitter or most blogs - the Internet encourages simplistic thinking - which is one of the problems with our society - if something cannot be stated in 140 characters, it just isn't worth thinking about.  At times I despair of our world. 

edited to add - I was talking about the Newsweek article regarding the prisoner swap.

crazy4carrots

GG -- Props to your DH  "Feeding Our Xenophobia" indeed!  Best one I've heard -- and Murdoch has obviously been doing it in his native Aussie-land too.

Anonymous

what Kam said.   "Same ole same ole. Hide your bigotry by distorting the truth."

Understanding why Alexandria, Jackie have used the wonderful OPTION of blocking someone, I'm just sad that I have to do it too, in order to continue to hear what wonderful warm open thinking women regularly posting on this thread have to say.  SO SAD to come to this thread and see Ye Olde "this poster is blocked" - but I to HAVE HAD IT.

E- gorgeous pic.  Hope the clinical trial is being KIND to you, and also marvelously effective. Carrots for your friend.

Anonymous

gg- Feeding Our Xenophobia.  Purrrrrrfections.  Even better than Fux News.  Thanks to your wonderful DH.

gardengumby

I'll tell him that you folks like it.     

Wabbit

I can honestly say I haven't seen many kosher certifications on stuff at the grocery store.  But it's not because it isn't there ... it's because it does not concern me and I don't notice it.  The halal certification is the same thing. 

If a business feels that either of those will increase their profits above what it takes to get such certification, they will do so.  It should not make a product more expensive.  They expect to make more money, not less, or they would not do it.

A small business who cannot afford to do so is not losing anything.  They do not have the customers who require that now.  It does occur to me, however, that they might have an incentive to try to convince buyers that a halal certification is an evil thing which should be avoided.  That would drive customers to them wouldn't it?  Customers who previously had bought elsewhere because of price or quality or value or convenience.  People should do what they want, but this campaign to get people to boycott halal certified products smacks of manipulation to me.

Nobody knows what really happened with Bergdahl.   This campaign of personal destruction of him and his family saddens me.  We know that at least some of the others in his unit thought he was weird and did not like him.  We know they think he deserted.  But they were not there when whatever happened took place so they cannot possibly know for sure.  I could probably write a blog post pushing the idea that they hated him and ran him off causing his capture with just as much evidence in favor of that theory.  How about we wait for real evidence and then decide what we think?  In any event, I'm always in favor of getting American soldiers back.  We owe them that.  We are holding people in Gitmo that we know we do not have the evidence to ever prosecute.  If we are going to have to release them anyway, I am all in favor of getting something in return whenever we can.  Again ... it is wise to have facts before we have opinions.  Not as much fun as going ballistic and getting some hate on  ... but certainly less foolish.

And if it's all about beards, how in the h*ll am I supposed to tell the difference between a Duck Dynasty beard and a Taliban sympathizer beard???!   Because actually the here comes Gunny Boo Boo guys strutting around shopping malls and fast food places showing off their big guns look a whole lot more like Taliban than Bergdahl's father does.   It's such a confusion sometimes

Waving hello to all you lovely ladies!!

 

 

Anonymous

I would like to EMPHASIZE that being open minded, does NOT mean accepting bigotry or hatel speech, this is not expressing a point of view, If in doubt, check the Southern Poverty Law Center.  Caging this speech in "well, I like some of "THEM" - is another version of "some of my best friends are."  Not acceptable, ever.

Condemning, making fun of, a religious style of dress, be in a burkha, a nun's habit, a yamaka, a sikh turban is Hate Speech.

We can thank Mahalia Jackson for those words : "Tell them about the dream, Martin!  For hearing the Dream Speech.  It is still our charge to live it.

kayfh

When I posted about xenophobia it was not my intent to accept, forgive, or be tolerant of an totally unacceptable rant.  I was just trying to understand where it could come from, and to point out that it is treatable.  Should someone choose not to seek help then we can only block.

We have to be the change we want to see.  (((((((SunflowersMA))))))

Anonymous

kayfh

I wasn't AT ALL referring to anything you posted.  Just the Moderators stepping in to "remind" us of the "rules" and I wanted to be clear I didn't think those "rule" allowed some of the posts in previous few pages.  I've put the person I don't want to read on BLOCK ( thanks Jackie for reminding me) and I AGREE with you all xenophobia to me is simple minded, covered by Kam's observation...

I don't know that it's "treatable" when someone thinks it is "right" - but I agree with you, just SO SAD to feel I have to block on this thread...

Hope you've gotten Spring in ON, it's finally here in Western MA - but my tomato plants think it's early May ;-)

bluedahlia

If I were to get married again it would be in a saree.

pupmom

Blue, that is so gorgeous! I saw them all over India and just loved the vibrant colors.

kayfh

Yea, but only if I could get a complete makeover to look like the woman wearing it 

And yes!  Spring has sprung!  Actually it feels like summer, the garden has taken off (I only do flowers and  herbs).  I am now gardening by extraction.  I need to find some space to put the five yards of compost  (well a bit less now) that I had delivered in the second week of May, before I need the space to store snow come winter.  Perhaps a bit too ambitious?     

crazy4carrots

Sunny, my DH had to stake the tomatoes this weekend, they're growing so fast!

I do honestly believe that Fox's morning planning meetings consist of how to put out "suspicions" about their perceived progressive enemies (and of course the President and all he does).  Here's a very small, recent sample of such that have been aired:

"It's odd that Bergdahl appears to be being kept in isolation"  and "he doesn't want to speak to his parents"

"The President provoked members of Bergdahl's unit into attacking him"

"The U.S. paid a ransom in exchange for Bergdahl"

"Does Bergdahl deserve the death penalty?"

"The beard makes Bergdahl's father look like the Taliban"

"Bergdahl converted to Islam"

....and of course the RWNJ run with all these mendacious statements and their followers believe every word.  Joseph Goebbels would be so proud.

QuinnCat

GG - My walking partner loved your husband's FOX as an acronym for feeding our xenophobia.  After I told her about how we were a bunch of intolerant libtard women for not tolerating intolerance she blurted out a line from one of the Mike Myers movies..." I hate intolerance and the Dutch!"  About sums it up.

kad2kar

Did anyone ever watch Little Mosque n the Prairie?  It was Canadian tv. My DH and I watched the whole series on HULU. One of the main characters,Raeann, was set to get married and her whole wedding ensemble was so beautiful, including her Henna Tattooing. The show ws absolutely wonderful causing so many emotions, and giving those who know not a thing about being Muslim some education about them LOVED it!!!!   LOVE you all too --------kad2kar

crazy4carrots

Kad -- So glad you enjoyed Little Mosque!  It was a lovely show, and hopefully opened many eyes!  It was successfully sold to over 50 countries.

kayfh

I loved that show.  The people in it, even the pompous overblown bigots, weren't intractable.  But it did help to dispell many myths. The characters are people first and foremost with all their foibles,.   It also is set in beautiful Saskatchewan.  How many shows, other than Corner Gas are set there?

Bren-2007

Hi Buddies,

I'm a little late getting to the conversation ... been a busy day with Tim at home.  I'm still working on getting my iris' moved to their new location.  Almost done, and what a difference it makes.  They are already happier and have perked right up.  Also planted 2 tomato plants next to them. I feel really bad that I abandoned them and let them get overrun with weeds and sticker bushes.

Kay ... that was a neat explanation of xenophobia.  I had heard the word before, but didn't know what it meant.

Any chance you could post a few pic's of your garden?  It sounds so lovely.  I tried growing "food" a few years ago and it was a disaster ... except for the zucchini.  We had a 60 x 40 ft area dug up and cleared for the garden and then put a huge fence around it.  It was an enormous undertaking and a dismal failure.  I'm back to just growing some flowers now.  And the grass has filled in where the garden used to be.  The only problem is that the guy that dug it up made the furrows so deep it's really bumpy when I mow back there.

Enjoyful ... the selfies of Sampson are hilarious!  I love that guy.  The picture of you and Meghan is beautiful ... you're both so lovely and striking.  And you have hearts to match your beauty!

Blue ... love the sari ... the color is outrageous!  Don't the brides in India wear red?

Alexandria ... loved your post from a couple of pages back.

I never did hear anything back about the jobs I applied for.  I revamped my resume and resent it using my personal email instead of my work email.  Was hoping they would forget the first resume I sent ... it really wasn't that professional.  The second one is so much better.  I found some samples of transcription resumes on the internet and found them to be a big help.  There just are so few jobs in my specialty.

Hope everyone is enjoying the day.

hugs,

Bren

Anonymous

staking tomatoes....ok, green jealous   I have those round tomato thingies in the ground around each plant, and they aren't even up to the first rung yet.  Tho' I did plant deep ( cuz they'd gotten so leggy on the indoor window sill) so maybe they'll have a whomping great root system & just SPROUT up fast. We have such a short growing season, all are sungold.  Finally found tomatillo plants - put in 4: 2 green, 2 purple, they'll probably take over the garden next year.

Herbs - mostly lemon thyme, rosemary, dill and coriander.  Yup, adore coriander, and acknowledge it's an acquired taste.

Smiling with Blue, I did sometimes wear a sari while spending several months in an ashram in India during the 1980's.  Where I first smelled the night blooming frangiapani ( ok, plumeria, gg ;-) and thought I was in HEAVEN - December night, warm, full moon, and wafting aroma of frangiapani - think it's so interesting how evocative smell is, brings back such good memories.  Must remember to check web for starters for a houseplant.  I've certainly got enough sun, maybe not warmth in the winter, but lotsa sun.

suzieq60

Me Xenophobic? - I'm still laughing.

My problem with halal is that why should I pay extra for a product like a body cream (The Body Shop) when it is something that doesn't even need to be certified.

I am not a hater, just a concerned citizen given the horrific things that go on in this country in the name of that religion:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/father-charged-after-he-allegedly-allowed-daughter-12-to-marry-20140212-32hc0.html

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/female-genital-mutilation-three-charged-with-circumcising-girls-committed-to-stand-trial-20140523-zrm6i.html

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/australian-judge-finds-muslim-cultural-differences-valid-excuse-for-rape/

 

alexandria58

I love that sari.  I'm just such a klutz that I'd probably trip and break my neck.  I'm having garden envy this year - I've been so busy editing and running back and forth to NJ that I have planted nothing.  We usually do herbs and tomatoes.  right now, we have a fine crop of weeds.

Everyone who has posted articles on Bergdahl: I feel so badly for that young man and his family.  The hatred and hypocrisy that has been directed at him and his family just make me sick. And angry.  Really really angry.  

RetiredLibby

I have a beautiful silk sari I bought in Calcutta in the mid-1980s.  My then-husband and I were stationed in Pakistan and had come to Calcutta to visit my friend who was the U.S. Consul General.  It is a gorgeous deep magenta with gold and turquoise trim.  I will try to find a picture of me wearing it.