WORMS ON THE INTERNET

The internet is a wonderful thing. The resource information for a multitude of topics is virtually unlimited.
Yet, like with anything else in this world of ours, it is abused by heartless people who have no respect for themselves or others. They'd rather cause problems with viruses and worms and such, possibly to elevate themselves in their own minds and the minds of other that their notoriety is fame to be admired. That train of thought is a sickness in itself, and one can't help but wonder if the brains of those who delight in such acts aren't filled with worms and viruses.
After starting this journal on AOL, the day after I wrote my thoughts on the war in Iraq and not forgetting how it began, popups became ingrained on some of the pages in a website (no longer listed here). Those popups would not go away, no matter what you did to eliminate them.
Rather than respond to my thoughts within the journal, some coward on the internet decided to take a more vicious tactic. One can only assume it came from the Republican religious right -- for whom many of us are losing respect on a daily basis. That group claims to love and follow the Lord, but perhaps they should go back and read the Gospels of Jesus Christ. How many so-called "Christians" actually follow the teachings of the Son of God? How many of them are listening to Satan, believing it is God? How many of them choose to hurt others rather than respect and love their neighbors ... the ones they can see and the ones they can't?
The internet is a wonderful tool for the exchange of ideas. We all have opinions, and here we have the right to express them. To prompt hate and criminal activity (which includes destruction of other people's property, including websites) is not the desire of most people who spend many hours at a computer and enjoy the still novel concept of having their thoughts and ideas spread around the world.
Some people don't want us to have individual concepts and will do anything they can to stop people who threaten their way of thinking. If they win, freedom loses. But a fact of life is, malicious people are out there and they will continue to hate, discriminate and violate the principles of the Bible. Some of them may even be among the congregation at your church service this weekend.
I may disagree with your way of thinking, but I won't hurt you or your creations. Please provide me with the same courtesy, and that will be a step toward making the world at large and the world of the Internet a better place.

THE WAR IN IRAQ ... Part 1 of many to come

The Associated Press, in a story about an interview with a German publication:
Colin Powell, who retired as secretary of state in January, also said he still is "furious and angry" about his Feb. 5, 2003, speech to the U.N. Security Council in which he said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that violated U.N. sanctions.
No such weapons were found, but Powell told Stern he had no reason to doubt intelligence from the CIA and other agencies suggesting Saddam had them.

"I have to live with that."
-Colin Powell, on presenting false WMD evidence to the United Nations

Powell said he spent four days and three nights at the CIA before making the presentation, Stern reported.
''Some of this information was wrong. I didn't know that at the time,'' Powell was quoted as saying. ''I have to live with that.''
But he defended the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 that toppled Saddam and paved the way for elections in Iraq - despite the continuing anti-U.S. insurgency.
''Yes, the insurgency is much bigger than we assumed. But I'm happy that Saddam is in jail. And I'm darn glad that we will never again have to talk about weapons of mass destruction in connection with Iraq,'' Powell said.
''Anyone who says that has no idea. We are friends,'' he said.

MY REACTION: Powell's closing comment about being "darn glad that we will never again have to talk about weapons of mass destruction in connection with Iraq" bothers me, because we never had to talk about them to begin with.
However, the administration DID talk about them to the American public and the president and his underlings are on videotape of interviews in the pre-war days insisting that WMD were in Iraq and that Hussein planned to use them. Even after they were warned the intelligence could be flawed, the administration perpetuated this myth to convince ... or brainwash ... the American public of the need to go to war.
How many of our fine young men and women have died or will have to live with wartime injuries for the rest of their lives because of lies?
Perhaps the world is a better place without Hussein in control, but are we safer? No. Is Iraq a "democracy"? No, it has a long way to go. Are there more terrorists in Iraq than before the war? Yes. Should we sweep the fact that we were lied to in order to put more than 100,000 of our brave troops in harm's way be swept under the carpet and forgotten? I think not.
But we're there, and the job needs to be completed -- at most or even least to bring a semblance of peace. My hat is off to all members of our armed forces who did the jobs to which they were assigned. I pray that all of those remaining on foreign soil will return soon and safely to their homes and families.
I also pray that Americans -- and particularly our journalists -- will not be afraid to ask hard, probing questions in search of truth if such a conflict arises again.

Beginnings

This will be my first of what I plan to be many entries to share my life experiences, opinions and insights on my world and the world around me. There's much I want to say, and much that I want to hear from you.
You will find a basic philosophy throughout: Tell someone you love him or her today. They'll feel good, and you will, too.