JERKWATER TRAIN

What if I told you there was a winged flying creature that was so enormous as far as the eye can see, and it swooped like a soaring eagle; its wings covered the herizon; it was as quick as a flash. Only one man ever saw it. The man rode it in more than one occasion to go to the heavens. But no one ever saw this creature as gigantic as it was. The man lived around the 7th century AD.  ... Would you believe me? ... Well, any reasonable person with average intelligence would say this is a myth. ... There is a poet on death row for just saying that. This part, tragically, is not fiction. His name is #Fayadh.

Intellect: "The power or faculty of the mind by which one knows or understands, as distinguished from that by which one feels and by that which one wills ..." For one to excersize this, at a minimum, freedom of thought must exist. Freedom of expression, which is the foundation of freedom of thought, especially when it comes to religion in Muslim-controlled societies doesn't exist. On the extreme it could land a freethinker on the edge of the sword or long imprisonment or lashings, or on the mild side a huge fine and exile. An atmosphere of oppression proliferate across the Muslim world. Apostasy is punishable by death. In other words, questioning fiction, superstitions and beliefs is not something wise people who want to live even entertain. Therefore, the Muslim thought has been frozen in time and space since the 10th century AD, when Ghazali codified Islam and darkness fell. The Muslim thought in the Middle East is dead beyond recognition. As for the "Muslim Intel

When the silent majority doesn't count in the face of a brutal, determined minority, sizable minority. Some lessons from history: The Natzis committed their atrocities with a sizable German minority and a silent majority. Pol Pot committed Genocide with the same willing minority and a silent majority. Imperial Japanese atrocities tell the same story. The genocide in Rwanda, same story. IS is committing atrocities with a sizable, Muslim-minority support and a silent Muslim majority. IS is yet another classic example when a fanatical, determined minority - empowered by old and draconian traditions and lots of material and spiritual support by tens of millions in this case, not a fringe by a long shot - shapes the course of history at least in the short term, and the Muslim majority stands paralyzed and unwilling to take on their responsibility of extrminating this evil ideology in their midst and of their own creation. In a more enlightened time, the majority will rise up and do the

VvvThere is a common thread among all those savages who commit atrocities around the world, which is they're young  They have been indoctrinated and brainwashed by culture, religion, and the monstrous kingpins who are usually much older. Young people often think violence will solve their problems, this is coupled with this inferiority complex among some Muslims who think, somehow, that the West is the cause of all their collasal political, economic and social failures in recent centuries. Always pointing the fingers. This is coupled with persistent messages and  teachings to young muslims about the early Era of Islam packaged and laced in gold. Fiction. IS, and many other violent islamic organizations, provide, as so many yougsters believe,  Islamic salvation to restore their power and pride and ultimately subdue all of humanity by their savagery. IS and its millions of ignorant supportes are fighting for global supremacy where everyone is converted, taxed as an infidel, enslaved,

"The world is not cyclical, not eternal or immutable, but endlessly transforms itself, and never goes back, we can assist in that transformation. "Live on, survive, for the earth gives forth wonders. It may swallow your heart, but the wonders keep on coming. You stand before them bare headed, shriven. What is expected of you is attention. "Your songs are your planets. Live on them but make no home there. What you write about, you lose. What you sing, leaves you on the wings of song. "Sing against death. Command the wildness of the city. "Freedom to reject is the only freedom. Freedom to uphold is dangerous. "Life is elsewhere. Cross frontiers. Fly away." --Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet.

The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration http://flip.it/Rtlho

Humans will never cease to amaze me. Humans are the only animals who kill their own on a massive scale. They even taught dogs how to do it for sport.

People become the God they worship. Have you noticed that God has similar sentiments as, let us say, shady characters. I find those who preach ostentatiously about God are the least qualified to know about one. It's not that I hate God, it's the other way around. Religion is like meth: the more you sniff it, the more you want it. All religions are human inventions, except, of course, yours and mine. Adam and Eve were very lucky, they didn't have to date for a while before they had sex. God seems to be too needy, he needs all people to think they really need him. If God were a guy, I wouldn't want to hang out with him, for he's capricious and hard to please. People say, God is watching ... it's about time he stops watching and starts doing. Who officiated Adam and Eve's marriage, God?