Civil Discourse Now

Where the far left and far right overlap for fun and enlightenment

May 2013 Blog Posts (28)

Israeli airstrikes and the question of reliable information---for the U.S. public.

   It appears that Israel conducted airstrikes inside Syria near the capital, Damascus.

   Beyond what should be "baseline" troubling questions---the widening of any military conflict, with a premise that war results in killing and therefore is bad, but, in limited instances, justified---I have to ask, what do we know and from whom do we know it?

   There are reports that Israel struck shipments of rockets and other arms meant for guerillas who would use those items against…

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Added by Mark Small on May 7, 2013 at 6:00am — 1 Comment

Colors of war and the spectrum of color in Syria.

   We send too many people to too many places to die. Syria is the latest country at which our military has been pointed.

   TV of the 1960s started, for most people, in black-and-white. The screens bore images of shades between black and white, mostly gray. About 1965 many households had color TVs. That was about the time the military conflict in Vietnam heated up. August brought us the Tonkin Gulf resolution, a blueprint for how a government can defraud the American public into…

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Added by Mark Small on May 6, 2013 at 6:10am — No Comments

Syria: We should ot go there. Next week's topic.

   Most United States troops have withdrawn from Iraq. That was a military conflict—not a "war," as Congress only has followed the Constitution five times in our history to declare war: War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. Thousands were killed and maimed, but "war," as defined by the Constitution, it was not.

   We still have troops in Afghanistan. Why they are there is a fair question. One reason could be to continue to prop up a…

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Added by Mark Small on May 5, 2013 at 6:15am — No Comments

I did it!

I finished my fifteenth Mini-Marathon! Congratulations to all who participated!

Added by Mark Small on May 4, 2013 at 4:52pm — 1 Comment

Good Luck in the Mini(r)!

   It promises to be cool this morning. We will stream live from Creation Café, 337 West 11th Street, on the first floor of the former Buggs Temple. As the sergeant used to say on "Hill Street Blues," be safe out there. If you begin to feel like you need to stop, do not hesitate to walk to the side and say that to a course official. They will summon transport to take you to the finish line.

   Best of luck to everyone

Added by Mark Small on May 4, 2013 at 5:12am — No Comments

The Mini(r): Last words of advice and--after the Mini the Show live streams from Creation Cafe!

   Tomorrow is the big day! The weather forecasts seem uncertain. At 5:18 a.m. Friday the predictions are cool temps with rain held off, except for a few showers, until after the race is completed. Our "after" party—and a "live" stream of "Civil Discourse Now" at our usual 11 a.m. start—will be at Creation Café, located at 337 West 11th Street, on the first floor of the former Buggs Temple. I have heard the food there is great.

   First, to answer Kurt Lorey’s questions…

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Added by Mark Small on May 3, 2013 at 5:51am — 1 Comment

Practical tips on how to do the Mini(r), with disclaimer, MS-squared part next-to-last.

   When I was hit with MS in 1994, by the second day in the hospital, I could not walk. This year will be my 15th consecutive Mini®. These blogs about the Mini® will be a combination of memories of doing the Mini® and advice, based on those memories, of how to do it. I had no clue, in 1999, about the proper approach to the race. All advice given in this, or any other column, is not given as a healthcare professional. I do not have the formal training received by M.D.s, so check…

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Added by Mark Small on May 2, 2013 at 6:17am — 3 Comments

The bill is paid and first tips on How to Do the Mini if you are not a World-Class athlete.

   The Mini-Marathon® is this Saturday, May 4. The weather forecast is chilly temperatures and rain. This is my account of why the Mini®—this will be my 15th in a row—is important to me.  To paraphrase the title of The Ventures’ song, I walk—do not run—the 13.1 miles. Considering that in 1994, by the second of nine days in the hospital, I completely had lost use of my legs, doing those 13.1 miles is pretty good.

   I lay on the ice-covered asphalt of the crosswalk, staring…

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Added by Mark Small on May 1, 2013 at 6:16am — 1 Comment

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