Books, Crooks, And Asses

The Center

What The Alien Has To Say
(still cranky because re-entry is a \ \ (bichon frise) )

It's obvious to me why the report was written that way (in response to the Über Right article).

Had the report authors demurred to the vanguard it Not only would make me the last Woman on Oceana that Witnessed what they go around doing to each other while calling it ‘air freshener’ and leave me with the memory of a tortured baby in my arms; but it would also mean that I am the last Man standing.
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And given my proclivity to be creative with their architecture and my predilection for rearranging the ‘furniture’ it would bring a whole new meaning to the Washington Monument.
No matter what theory or label they may like to attach to 'terrorists' and 'terrorism' it would be incomplete if they obstinately cling to laying the blame elsewhere and not consider their own contribution to the Oklahoma City bombing and the Columbine High School massacres taking place. (If you do not have the stomach for Death then Do Not Deal in it; find some other creative way to get your point across).

9 Surah Tauba (Repentance)
إِنَّ اللّهَ اشْتَرَى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الجَنَّةَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ
فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنجِيلِ وَالْقُرْآنِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ مِنَ اللّهِ
فَاسْتَبْشِرُواْ بِبَيْعِكُمُ الَّذِي بَايَعْتُم بِهِ وَذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ 9:111
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9:111 Indeed God has bought of the Believers their Souls and their Possessions for theirs is Paradise; they fight in God's Cause and they Kill and are Killed; God's Promise is binding on Him in the Torah and the Injeel (Gospel) and the Quran; and who can fulfill His Promise better than God? Rejoice in the Bargain you have made, it is a Supreme Triumph!
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Basically, Sign 9:111 is telling us that unless you have the Keys to Paradise and you can come and go there as you please, you have no business killing people (or being killed for that matter).
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Now you see why the alien thinks these people killing and terrorizing themselves and each other cannot be Real. After all, we don't see anybody terrorizing the Swiss and they are sitting on everything that is of real value--money and chocolate; and it would appear the Swiss don't have to pay any price for their freedom since apparently it comes free of charge (none of us pay toll when we exit our mothers); oh, and they have clean potable water throughout their cities' public drinking fountains.
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How else can this poor alien reconcile what it expects to See based on what is in the Books and what is being reported in the Papers, eZines and the Evening News?

5 Surah Ma'ida (The Table)
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ
وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَابِ اللّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاء فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ النَّاسَ
وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ 5:44
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5:44 Indeed it is We who Revealed the Torah, in it a Guidance and a Light; (all) the Prophets ruled by it 'those who surrendered themselves' (Muslims) to what they Guided to; and the Rabbis and the Hebrews (Jews) in what they archived (preserved) of God’s Scripture and they were Witnesses over it. So do not fear the Masses and do not barter My Signs for a trifling gain; and those who do not Judge by what God Reveals you will find them to be the Disbelievers (Unfaithful, Infidels).
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3 Surah 'Imran (The 'Imran; the Family that includes Zacchariah, John, Mary and Jesus)
نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ 3:3

3:3 He Revealed to you the Book (Scripture) Ratifying the Truth (Rightfully Confirming) what is between their hands (what has been Revealed to them before) and He Revealed the Torah and the Injeel (Gospel).
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To scale the gravity of what is being cited here one must only stop to consider who stands to benefit by the deteriorating performance of our education system and why Scripture places such a high value on Literacy. And more is the pity that all this good Writing falls on conveniently heedless masses:

62 Surah Jum'ah (The Gathering):::
مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا
بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ 62:5
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62:5 The Similitude of those who carry (profess) the Torah without bearing its burden is like that of an ass (donkey) carrying it on a journey; evil is such a lot who belie God's Signs and God does not Guide oppressive (lost) people (aka Crooks).
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But I suppose this realization bolsters the need to support the Arts seeing how it is that people are being prevented from thinking for themselves by curtailing their access to not only a good education, but the finest education we as a society can facilitate. (Up to about 25 years ago, the United States ranked #1 in eduction among developed countries. Where are we now?)
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But there is always a backstop measure, and by that I mean it is no coincidence that Artists can instantly express in their given media (music, graphic art, sculpture, dance, theatre, etc.) what it takes the rest of us years to develop the language adequate enough just begin to Articulate what the Artist can say with one fell stroke (Escher is a favorite; I was a lowly frosh when I first saw his Metamorphosis in its entirety (I-IV) for sale at a Soho art gallery, but unfortunately I was $10 Grand short and I had even lost my subway token that day; who/what is yours?). See? Somehow the Message still gets through; it would be nice to make it not so difficult, however.
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What's so difficult you might wonder? This is where the cranky, but well meaning, alien gets to recount how tinkering with the normal course of events by taking shortcuts out of the mess they have created for themselves can backfire on those with less than admirable motivations (the alien is certain Quran is the last thing they wanted/expected to hear). And it has also cost the alien dearly since she now has seen both her Worldly Husband and her Heavenly Husband under the same roof and at the same time and she can't have one without feeling like she is Cheating on the other and that only makes our alien (who was none too pleased with the re-entry) even More Cranky (grammar b dimmed!).