Thanks for Coming!

Greetings

This is my very first post (No stop it, your embarrassing me).

It is viewed as axiomatic that first impressions count. Public communication folk affirm that in approx. 7 seconds, we decide if the individual speaking in front of us is worth the further effort. Preach it brother. If you have made it this far in deciding to visit this blog and read these words before you, your 7 seconds has expired. Will the three people reading this post continue? O the pressure! O the exhilaration!

If tedium is beginning to set in, you can blame some friends who have been encouraging me to post my verbosity on my very own blog. I don't know, maybe they think I can unload on some unsuspecting reader. I can not take credit for what you see here (I am no techno-geek), at this point anyway, as one of these friends kindly set this up for me. If you cared to peruse my profile, you will see his humorous handiwork.

However, from this point on, I am guilty as charged.

What is my purpose for foisting my thoughts onto your computer screen? This is a good question.

It is my goal in this blog to offer my thoughts, my opinions on any number of issues to any and all. I can't guarantee that you will agree with how I view reality, but I do hope and trust that it causes you to think, and even challenge, your understanding of a life well lived under the sun.

As I have said, what I will say is my opinion, but it is my opinion that I hope to be predicated on truth. Yes, I am ignorant enough to believe that there is such a category. However, the challenge is to be able to find it.

Let me illustrate this for you.

The belief that there is truth, and the desire to find this is also affirmed in an article on the Sojourners God's Politics blog by Ryan Rodrick Beiler, titled Whose Truth Do You Trust in the Gaza Conflict? found here

http://www.sojo.net/blog/godspolitics/2009/01/07/whose-truth-do-you-trust-in-the-gaza-conflict/

While the title to this piece indicates that you might be about to read an analysis of both perspectives, in the hope that by wrestling with what may be intractable truth claims, some light may help to dissipate the heat that this debate ensues.

However, what you really have is another veiled dig at the Israeli's. If one doubts this reality, at the end of the article, Beiler, attempting to hit it out of the park, and answer the title to his piece, offers the reader the following, But for those still looking for credible testimony about what’s really going on in Gaza, here is some heart-wrenching testimony from a Norwegian doctor working with the U.N., as broadcast by CBS. In other words, here comes the truth that can be trusted.

Let's take him at his word, and trust what this Dr Mads Gilbert has to say. The real question that needs to be answered is this, Is this man (and his colleague) an objective voice? This is an important question to answer, as CAMERA has stated, this Doctor and his colleague have become media stars as the BBC, CBS, CNN, ABC, Independent, Sky News, and New York Times, among others, have turned to them as independent foreign observers to provide a presumably non-partisan perspective.

So what is the problem?

As CAMERA goes onto affirm, these individuals are far from objective. You should read this article here

http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=35&x_article=1580

If to possibly further illuminate this reality, Newsbusters has recorded an incident these individuals were involved in, which made it's way onto CNN, which claimed to be a recording of the death of a 12 year old, hit by an Israeli drone. However, Newsbusters claim that this was staged. The fact that CNN seem to have withdrawn this, lends credence to their claim. You make up your own mind. You can read about this here

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2009/01/08/they-never-learn-cnn-withdraws-apparently-faked-video-cpr-attempt-really

What does this one example illuminate for those seeking the truth?

Just as there is a battle in the media for the hearts and minds of the world in regard to conflict in Gaza, daily we are presented with information masquerading as fact. Yes, much of this comes through various media. Even what you have read so far can only be masquerading, until you compare it with the sources, and correspondence is affirmed.

It is only then that it becomes truth. I told you there was such a thing!

Until next time...

Update: The debate continues with the video on CNN. Check out this piece from Newsbusters for the latest developments. Apparently it is been reposted by CNN. If you desire to read further, check it out here

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2009/01/09/cnn-doubles-down-reposts-withdrawn-video-apparently-faked-cpr-attempt-de

Further Update: For those interested in viewing the CNN debate, Little Green Footballs has a number of posts examining the issues, here

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32404_CNN_Says_the_Video_is_Genuine

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32406_CNNs_Staged_Video_Updates

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32407_CNNs_Staged_Video_Updates-_The_Norwegian_Connection

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32410_CNNs_Staged_Video_Update-_Lets_See_the_Uncut_Footage