Meditations on Life's Meaning

Please see our blog post "For Dedanna / Kim" at: http://meditationsonlifesmeaning.blogspot.com/2010/08/for-dedanna-kim.html

For Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Dead bear image licensed under Creative Commons by fishermansdaughter

Quite frankly, it disturbs us to publish links to so much bad news, the really bad stuff highlighted in red. One thing we found particularly disturbing was the story of the 75 pound dead bear (not the one in our image here) left in front of a school with images of Obama. Obviously, the person or persons responsible need to be caught and detained and possibly given psychiatric evaluation(s). Its obviously a veiled threat to Mr. Obama - which we find deeply, hideously disturbing. Hopefully, the Secret Service is involved.

Which provokes the next question: what is the symbolism of the dead bear? (Well, obviously leaving a live bear behind was out of the question.) Is it a secret symbol of racism? Or a symbol of what needs to be done about the bear market we have got ourselves? Or a twisted symbol of both? Or just a plain twisted threat? Somebody actually had to go and kill an innocent animal - perhaps poached it - or was it roadkill?

Anyway, the implications are frightful and fearful. And we fear. And hopefully the right steps are taken to protect Mr. Obama and his family and all.

3 of 4 Americans scared about U.S. direction

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/21/america.poll/index.html

Historian: 1929 all over again?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/21/klein.depression/index.html

US rivals trade blows on economy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7682083.stm

Rivals' economic plans compared

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7669013.stm

Profile: Madelyn Dunham

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7681648.stm

Cook: Metrics add up for Obama

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27296223/

Voters In Battleground States More Ambivalent About Presidential Candidates

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020120105.htm

Newsweek: Your handy voting-problem primer

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/10/21/stumper-s-handy-voting-problem-primer.aspx

Black turnout could decide House races

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27290831/

Protesters try to block Palin's car

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/10/21/vo.palin.protesters.kkco

Ticker: Cindy McCain lashes out at media

http://www.cnn.com/linkto/ticker.html

Voter turned away for Obama shirt

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/10/21/jones.nm.voter.turned.away.mxf.koat

McCain: 'I love being the underdog'

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/19/campaign.wrap/index.html

McCain says he was tested during 1963 Cuban crisis

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081021/ap_on_el_pr/mccain;_ylt=Arl6hsj7sOLzBZPZjlE1yH6s0NUE

Obama says McCain offers 'willful ignorance'

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081021/ap_on_el_pr/obama;_ylt=AhaU3TokS8tRV.34UKFzw1is0NUE

Oops! McCain asks Russia's U.N. envoy for money

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081021/od_nm/us_russia_odd;_ylt=AtqjTmNGsdYyhQ0UtPQKgo6s0NUE

Dead goldfish gets voter registration material

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27293263/

Dead Bear With Obama Signs Left At School

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/21/national/main4535573.shtml

Russia, Iran, Qatar discuss OPEC-style gas cartel

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081021/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_gas_cartel;_ylt=AlYdJGmZQmUJTQ4i9ZUZzN2s0NUE

Credit Rating Firms: Behind the Meltdown?

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6079598&page=1

A Warning Sign From Lehman

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/20/cbsnews_investigates/main4535072.shtml

Americans stock up for 'Greater Depression'

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27244465/

Video: Survivalists hunker down

javascript:vPlayer('27245054','73f7ee75-5417-464d-ace0-932627c44a99')

In hard times, some flirt with survivalism

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27244465/

Gap growing between rich and poor

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27295405/

Fed makes move to help bust credit logjam

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27294386/

Two major firms tapped to run financial rescue

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27294545/

1.6 million cribs recalled after 2 infant deaths

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27294553/

More banks may fail, IMF warns

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7682371.stm

Middle-aged women drive rise in U.S. suicides

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27293978/

Americans still texting dangerously

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27295115/

Guantanamo inmate charges dropped

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7682548.stm

For Saturday, October 18, 2008

John McCain Cardboard Cutout image licensed under Creative Commons by Matt Ortega

Dear John McCain, its Shining Time Station time! And we need you to start playing Mr. Conductor and start playing some positive notes! Just see the link to George Stepanopoulos's blog below. Let's switch caps and get that Conductor's cap on! Either that or sack half of your campaign staff - with just 17 days to go. What are they advising you to do? Keep snarling? Keep griping? The American public might just get the message that you're a little too cranky, because you're...because you're...John, you're too old. A little more happiness just might appeal to the youth vote, the independents, the undecided, the minority vote, the foreign observers, your peers, and...you know, just about everybody. That's real politics - just act the part. Everybody does it sometimes, you can do it too, John. We repeat - just act the part. Now, even if you do that, will you still win the election? No. But don't get cheesed and stomp off John. Just act the part...you'll still lose, but you won't look like a sore loser and the old guy in the neighborhood ranting at the kids for biking over your front lawn. It's time to get this old train out of the station...and into the sunset.

BBC GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS News, explanation and analysis - full coverage of the global turmoil

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/business/2007/creditcrunch/default.stm

Feds face $1 trillion budget hole

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27247139/

Interactive: Who's to blame for meltdown?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27183355/

Wall Street buzzing about ‘capitulation’

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27241353/

Newsweek: Are we in a recession or depression?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/164211

Recession

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recession

Depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(economics)

AIG asked for documents on bailout funding

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27242711/

Probe of Lehman collapse escalated: NYT

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre49h0lq-us-lehman-probe/

McCain v Obama: latest polls

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/629/629/7360265.stm

Electoral Map Calculator: You call the race

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/calculator/index.html


Biden hits Palin remark on 'pro-America' areas

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/17/campaign.wrap/index.html

John McCain's Next Move: Go Positive?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/stephanopoul-12.html

In Chicago, ex-radical better known as a scholar

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bill_ayers;_ylt=AhyWO_5bwdDHnrCnre55TYMDW7oF

Deep Background: Cindy McCain's tax returns released

http://deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/17/1562754.aspx

Cindy McCain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_McCain

Voters hit by registration mix-ups

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27247132/

A US election glossary

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7461848.stm

White House Wall of Silence Over 'W.'

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=6039755&page=1

Hawaii Ending Universal Child Health Care

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/17/health/main4527996.shtml

Dying Lawyer's Son, Clintons Beg Biogen to Use Drug

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20081015/pl_bloomberg/ajfbhskp9kae;_ylt=ArpZ8KalhX8Q6pk7qoyrBggPLBIF

Tysabri Natalizumab

http://www.tysabri.com/

For Monday, October 13, 2008

Europe acts to strengthen banks

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7667342.stm

UK banks receive £37bn bail-out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7666570.stm

Markets surge after crisis talks

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7666608.stm

Icelandic market remains shut

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7666498.stm

Will the rescue efforts work?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7667079.stm

Obama to reveal economic package

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7667772.stm

Paulson calls top banks to D.C. summit

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27161138/

Newsweek: End of the ‘ownership’ society

http://www.newsweek.com/id/163451

Where's all the ‘lost’ money?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27122758/

Lessons from the Great Depression

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/10/13/depression.irpt/index.html

Economic Crisis of 2008 - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_financial_crisis

Krugman wins Nobel for economics

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7667190.stm

Paul Krugman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Krugman

Newsweek: GM-Chrysler merger a lemon of a deal

http://www.newsweek.com/id/163692

Why This Is a Great Time to Buy a Car

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PersonalFinance/story?id=6004441&page=1

New Photos Of Kim Jong Il Raise Doubts

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/13/world/main4518055.shtml

Dairy blames toxic milk on subcontractors

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27161757/

China dairy sued over infant’s toxic milk death

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27161751/

Kids, some just 3 or 4, labor in toxic dust

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/28/what.matters.dust/index.html

Tiny girls offered up as sex slaves

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2008/10/13/wynter.sex.trade.expose.cnn

Call + Response Site (PG- 13)

http://www.callandresponse.com/