ulitave

My boss, who can't stand me, my boss who lies, gossips, backstabs, manipulates, plays favorites, and re-enacts her family drama upon the staff, left me a message last night. She was in tears. When her husband was alive, he had two dogs - huge white things the size of small horses. After he passed away, she kept them in his memory. One of the dogs caught lupus, and she has to be euthanized today.

I feel badly for my boss. She's lost her rudder, and all she can do is spin.

I'm seeing mixed reports that the men just arrested for allegedly plotting to blow up the Sears Tower and other buildings were Black Muslims, a.k.a., members of the Nation of Islam. MSNBC says they are, but other sources delete that small yet telling detail.

Mainstream Islam sees NOI much in the way mainstream Christianity views Mormonism. I found this out when I was a stage menager, and one of their top luminaries gave a speech on my stage. One of the student workers was Muslim and just started shaking his head. I asked him what was up. He sighed and looked a bit embarrassed, as if we were discussing a mad uncle who had to be tied to the porch so he wouldn't wander off.

He told me that mainstream Islam and NOI agree on the basics, like making the hajj and praying to Mecca. NOI diverges from mainstram Islam (Sunni, Shi'ite, and all other branches) in some serious ways - NOI tells people to believe in ancient genetic engineering, celestial spaceships, and a few other things that most people - Muslims or otherwise - consider plain nuts. They're sexist, anti-white, and anti-semitic, far more than ordinary Muslims (according to my student). They've also done quite a bit of good, mainly in prisons and poor urban communities. Since their temple in my community closed, that particular corner has taken a nosedive into drugs and prostitution. Gentrification will sweep all of that out eventually.

If Bush & Co. wants to make a case that these guys were in some al Queada plot, the world will laugh. Strict conservatives like bin Laden don't consider NOI members Muslims at all. al Queada wouldn't even speak to NOI.

AND, the timing is awfully suspect. His ratings are in the dumps, the domestic agenda is a shambles, and the press is full of stories about his worldwide bank acount spying. Odd how they got arrested on the same day as that bank story ran.

I know someone on my list has these skills so....

I need a website. I don't know jack about designing websites. I want a site that looks interesting and allows me to advertise services, stories, and readings. I have server space already. Anyone interested, please contact me.