Linda called us today using the GrandCentral button at the top-right of the page. It was nice to hear from her, and nice to find the button really works.
The GrandCentral service has been more than useful for my travels. When I'm inside a hotel or room, I can have all the calls transfered to that phone, or set them to go straight to voice-mail. Or to my cell-phone the rest of the time.
When you use the button, you put in your phone number, then the GrandCentral service will call your phone, and connect you to my phone. This way, the phone call is effectivly free (unless your cell-service charges you for in-coming calls as well... which many do).
The GrandCentral Service also allows different settings for each phone number (and the web button calls seperate as well), so that I can set the web button to go to voice-mail, with its own message. My first thought was to use the web button as a way of Voice Posting messages and information, and also allowing visitors to the Eddie Cat Project page to post Voice Comments.
The GrandCentral Web Button defaults to keeping your phone number private; if you want me to call you back, then uncheck the privacy check-box, or be sure to put your phone number or other contact information in your voice message.
That happened to me today, and I had to snap my mouth shut because it was on the verge of a lunch invitation which was probably going to be accepted. Life is full of messed up conflicts; full of moments that appear, and then pass on by. Part of us stays on though, doesn't it? I can feel that part of me is still back there, and I suspect that part of me is having a great deal more fun than the rest of me is right now.
A rise in attacks against homeless people in 2007 has more states considering harsher penalties in hate crime laws for attacking a homeless person.
Legislation is pending in Ohio and Massachusetts and Alaska. In Alaska, the bill passed the Senate and House and awaits Gov. Sarah Palin's signature.
Attacks against homeless people increased from 142 attacks in 2006 to 160 attacks in 2007, says a report released Tuesday by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.
Twenty-eight of those attacks were murders, up from 20 murders in 2006. The report was based on media reports and other data collected by advocates for the homeless, the coalition said.
"This is about punishing people who take advantage of the most vulnerable in our society," says Ohio State Rep. Mike Foley, who introduced the state's bill. "There is too much of it going on."
There is a documented relationship between increased police actions that criminalize homelessness and the rising number of hate crimes and violent acts against homeless people.
It appears that violent citizens become emboldened to attack homeless people because their city has responded negatively to the homeless population. These violent attacks occur especially where the city has portrayed homeless people as the cause of unemployment, decreasing property values, vacant storefronts or other problems.
Advocates from around the country have cited the relationship between municipal laws to banish or restrict visibility of homeless people and hate crimes and violence. This overly broad enforcement of the laws passed by city governments specifically targeting homeless people are documented in NCH's Illegal to Be Homeless: The Criminalization of Homelessness in the U.S.
This survey of cities and states that violate the civil rights of homeless people concluded that California is the "meanest" state in the nation for poor and homeless people, followed by Florida, Hawaii and Texas. The NCH study also ranked four California cities as among the top 20 "meanest cities" in the nation for violating the human rights of homeless people: Berkeley, San Francisco, Fresno and Los Angeles. [See "California Named as Meanest State in the Nation," Street Spirit, December 2004.]
Thou shalt not lie. Thou shalt not kill.
Perhaps [Mayor]Voepel skipped those commandments back in Sunday School. But by refusing to help stop what many now believe is the worst threat ever to face our planet, the righteous Mayor had best be prepared to accept his share of guilt ... --Miriam Raftery"I like it hot" -- Randy Voepel, Republican Mayor of Santee, California
This makes me feel very good about my next course of action, because it is heat that I'm bringing in to the Santee area, in the form of audits and litigation. Since I've never been a fan of fair fights however (at least fair in the way that I have to expend an equal amount of energy as my opponent), I won't be the one brandishing the sword. I'll humbly hand this task to the Federal and State experts.
After a bit of research I've discovered a number of Federal and State funds, as well as Grants issued by Corporations which have in their basic requirement description; an absence of Civil Rights abuse. Failure to maintain a government which is not abusing the Civil Rights of all of its citizens, results in the withholding of the Grant payments, and may result in other Civil Litigation as well. HUD of course is a great institution for pressing the "other Civil Litigation" option.
So, stay tuned; the heat is blowing in...
Since I'm no-longer getting the Lodging Tickets (as mentioned in my previous post), it would seem that all I've been able to do to this point is to waist my time, and Eric's time as well. Eric has helped me out a great deal with this project, not only with bright and early rides to the courthouse, but also in the area of spiritual support. One can easily slip into the depressing mood of "being alone against the world" out here on the road. Having good friends like Eric remind me of why I'm doing this, and what I'm really gaining through the effort, breaks up that dark wall of cloud and keeps my mind in the sunshine. So, if you need a Jacuzzi Cover, give Eric a call. I've seen the covers and his prices are very good.
Getting back to the point of "waisting my time", I've been seeking out other ways of accomplishing my goal over the last week. Eddie Cat has shown me many times; there is always more than one way to get the gopher.
It is a long standing saying in the Private Detective world, that if you are dealing with white collar types, "Follow the money". The crime, no matter what it is, always comes down to the money trail. While it is true that my goal is the eradication of a SMC, I am still dealing with White Collars who see money as the justification for all things. So according to the street-wise Private Eye, it is the money trail which will lead me to the solution I seek.
This was an interesting thought, and since I had nothing else to go on Monday, I started there; with the question "who gains by maintaining and enforcing of an illegal law, which only effects the homeless?"
I didn't get very far with this line of thinking. The answer seemed rather obvious...
"no one really." Not on the money trail at least. Heck, it would seem that the enforcement alone is a deficit in the equation. There is no way that the City of Santee could be getting back from the homeless enough revenue to cover the enforcement of a law like Lodging. I very strongly doubt that there is profit in it at all, since I know that one Sheriff spends all of his time, day after day, week after week, completely dedicated to the ferreting out and ticketing of homeless people. His salary alone would make such a venture unprofitable. It would be less expensive and much less hassle to simply open up a homeless shelter and fund a program.
The whole idea makes no sense at all when you add in the risk of civil liability.
Even with this obvious conclusion staring me down Tuesday and into Wednesday, I was unwilling to give up on the Shaman Wisdom of old. After all, there is money involved, somewhere, and White Collar types going to rather interesting lengths to protect the Lodging Code. So, while I may not see the puzzle as a whole, it does exist... somewhere.
It was Wednesday night, while working through an advanced Hwa Rang Do form, that my mind gleaned on an answer. The form in question uses, as one of the techniques a movement called Elbow Defense. This move is rather bizarre to witness, when done against an invisible opponent. In fact it makes no sense at all, and with its name "Elbow Defense" it makes even less sense. When observing the final stance of the movement, it appears to break every common sense rule of close combat (never cross your arms in front of your body, never leave your mid-section completely exposed, and undefended...etc.). It is only after you add a physical opponent to the move, and understand its true nature, that you realize its devastating effect on the human body. The form, as well, is a series of mis-direction movements and combinations, all of which are brutally lethal (which might be labeled as a redundant description since I've already mentioned the style of the martial art is Hwa Rang Do).
As I finished the form, my creative mind Eddie-Pounced on the gopher. Yes, there is money involved, and yes there are White Collars involved, I've just been looking at the movements without seeing the nature of the gopher.
These last few posts have not been what I've wanted to post of course, but I did commit to several of my friends to post regularly. I've had a great deal of work to do of late, and while I feel good at the end of the day, having taken back a little bit of my life from whatever condition this is which devours hours and days from my conscience experience, by the time I get set in for the evening I've been too tired to press out a real blog entry. So, I've copied a few articles which were of interest to me that day, and published those.
Much has occurred over the last week however, and trying to catch up is becoming more burdensome on my mental state every day.
The Santee Municipal Code (10.20.150) is still being enforced. The Sheriffs have simply quit enforcing it on me. I've changed my sleeping space several times, so they have run across me, expecting I was some place else; but once they find me occupying a homeless-frequented space, they simply walk away. Sort of a reverse discrimination; several of the homeless here in Santee have shown me tickets they have received over the last week.
One in particular (we'll call him Troy if we need a name) just got out of jail after doing 60 days for the Lodging Code. Unfortunately, he has now lost everything (again), all of his tools, the job he was working and even his bicycle. Since he pleaded guilty to the offense, there's nothing we can do about any of these losses, or the legality of the law with him. This really upset me to hear.
Since I'm no longer getting these tickets (though I'm sure if I break a "real" law I'll be treated as any other criminal, as it should be), I've been putting my creative mind to the stone and trying to come up with another route to pursue.
I'll have to post a few times to catch you all the way up.
Poisoning is an ever present danger. Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, sleepiness, shaking or trembling, twitching, staggering, convulsions, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, and paralysis. If you suspect that your pet has ingested or come in contact (i.e., skin contact) with poison, call your veterinarian immediately. If possible, identify the source of the poison. Do not induce vomiting unless so directed by the veterinarian. If your veterinarian cannot be reached, call the emergency animal clinic in your area. Remember, the best antidote is not to need one.
Common household poisons include:
acetaminophen furniture polish paint & paint remover
(Tylenol, etc.) gasoline permanent wave lotion
antifreeze* hair coloring phenol
aspirin herbicides photo developers
bleach insecticides rat poison
boric acid kerosene rubbing alcohol
brake fluid lawn chemicals shoe polish
carbon monoxide laxatives sleeping pills
chocolate lead snail/slug bait
cleaning fluids lye soaps/detergents
deodorizers/deodorants matches suntan lotion
disinfectants metal polish tar
drain cleaner mineral spirits turpentine
dye mothballs windshield washer fluid
fungicides nail polish & remover wood preservatives
(*Antifreeze is a common poisonous substance because its sweet taste is attractive to pets. Watch that radiator for leaks!!)
Please note that seemingly innocent substances can be toxic to your pet. The two lists presented here should not be considered all-inclusive. If in doubt, please contact your veterinarian for advice.
I have to admit, there are days when I'm going through the daily news, searching for topics of interest and education, that I come across an article which rattles me with the question "why are you even bothering?" I suppose the answer is that I simply don't want to face the fact that our system needs serious work.
In a decision that sets a new standard for what constitutes a legal search by police, as well as serving to remind why doing crack is a terrible idea, The New York Court of Appeals ruled that "reasonableness" should remain the touchstone for searches in order to not violate the 4th Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. Defining reasonableness was the basis of the case in question, which involved the searches of body cavities. The NY Times summarizes:
After only fifteen minutes of consciousness, …
WACK
running quickly, yet methodically, through experimental attempts to remove the cone-collar Eddie woke up with this morning…
WACK WACK
Eddie Cat has successfully turned what many cats and dogs might feel to be a handicap…,
WACK, SCRAPE, WACK
into a very effective AACD (Advanced Annoyance Communication Device).
WACK SHIN-SCRAPE SPEAR WACK
By utilizing complicated combinations of percussion signals, and the cone's rigidity as an effective edge-weapon, Eddie had conveyed to me in a language previously inaccessible to him, that he is extremely unhappy with the results of yesterdays Vet visit.
WACK WACK THUD SPEAR
I've been looking at I Corinthians (and other segments of Paul's work), prodded to interest with my continued research into the idea of the Lawless Christian.
Paul is rather definite throughout most of the works. Almost commanding, but then he puts in this verse:
"We are free to do all things, but there are things which it is not wise to do. We are free to do all things, but not all things are for the common good." (1 Corinthians 10:23 BBE)
I think that most of the texture of Paul's writings are from his indelible personality, and schooling as a Pharisee; though he had strong beliefs of what was right and wrong, he also knew that under the new Word of Love (The Fulfillment of the Law), there were no real rules laid down, and so with this verse, he let's us know that all of his don't and do's are really just guidelines. A rather long winded way of saying "Hey, don't hurt each other!"
I really like the change from "right" "wrong" verbiage to "wise" and "unwise" though most translations don't use those words. There is a huge list of actions that I balk at thinking "wrong" or "right" about, but am fine with seeing them as "wise" or "unwise".
Something I find very "unwise" is justifying my desires or my conscience by using razored off verses from the Bible. Something I have always found distasteful is building up belief structures using verses as the foundation stone. It is so easy to go astray, especially in the works of a man like Paul, whose authoritative tone spans thousands of years to our ears today; and so easy to forget to read a bit further..
The last couple of nights I've been woken up by different sheriff deputies, and not given a ticket. This is interesting to me because 1) it is in fact dark, 2) I am in fact sleeping at the time, 3) this is the place that I was given a ticket for "lodging" during the day when I'm not sleeping (or doing anything against the law for that matter).
The deputies tell me that I …'have to wake up and get out of [where ever I am at], but they don't stick around, ask for ID, run checks or anything else for that matter. They are gone within 5 minutes. Just here long enough to wake me up and justify hassling me. The justifications are rather random (I think they are making them up as they are talking).
So it appears they are no longer enforcing the lodging code.
I'll need to do some checking around to verify this status, but at this point, it looks like a small victory.
On April 1st I went to court on (This Ticket). So what happened on that day? Obviously I didn't go to jail. I didn't get a new court date either. In fact, I never made it into the court room. I showed up, and at the check-in area was told by the clerk no charges were going to be filed, due to lack of evidence. While it was clear to me that I wasn't going to be found guilty, this was a surprise. I was also aware at the time that the arrest also had no probable cause as well. Again, however, while these were evident to me, I still did not expect such a direct back-down from the D.A.
I have been giving this a great deal of thought, as to what my next actions should be with matter and the Municipal Code 10.20.50 . I have decided to find a lawyer and press with this matter to civil court. I'm also going to continue "enjoying my rights" as a citizen and move forward as I did the last couple of months.
I have learned and even witnessed that my actions during the last few months have been making a positive change with the handling and rights-trampling of the homeless in Santee. I've also found that the Sheriffs are less likely to respond to calls of "homeless people existing" in public areas. Basic harassment has been down. It hasn't gone away, not by a long shot, but there have been changes.
Giving these two decisions, I'm also going to focus more energy into my work, and push back this project on the importance-list. Not back-burning, just an adjustment of priorities.
don't really care about the two guys, but Eddie the Cat is pissed off about the Cat thing!
I love Foamy the Squirrel
by Dave Berry
Let's say a guy named Roger is attracted to a woman named Elaine. He asks her out to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and after a while neither one of them is seeing anybody else.
And then, one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine, and, without really thinking, she says it aloud: ''Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?''
And then there is silence in the car. To Elaine, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: Geez, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he's been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn't want, or isn't sure of.
And Roger is thinking: Gosh. Six months.
And Elaine is thinking: But, hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship, either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I'd have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily toward . . . I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?
And Roger is thinking: . . . so that means it was . . . let's see . . . February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's, which means . . . lemme check the odometer . . . Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here.
And Elaine is thinking: He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed -- even before I sensed it -- that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that's it. That's why he's so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He's afraid of being rejected.
And Roger is thinking: And I'm gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It's 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a goddamn garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.
And Elaine is thinking: He's angry. And I don't blame him. I'd be angry, too. God, I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure.
And Roger is thinking: They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty. That's exactly what they're gonna say, the scumballs.
And Elaine is thinking: Maybe I'm just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems to truly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.
And Roger is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I'll give them a goddamn warranty. I'll take their warranty and stick it right up their ..... .
''Roger,'' Elaine says aloud.
''What?'' says Roger, startled.
''Please don't torture yourself like this,'' she says, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. ''Maybe I should never have . . Oh God, I feel so . .... .''
(She breaks down, sobbing.)
''What?'' says Roger.
''I'm such a fool,'' Elaine sobs. ''I mean, I know there's no knight. I really know that. It's silly. There's no knight, and there's no horse.''
''There's no horse?'' says Roger.
''You think I'm a fool, don't you?'' Elaine says.
''No!'' says Roger, glad to finally know the correct answer.
''It's just that . . . It's that I . . . I need some time,'' Elaine says.
(There is a 15-second pause while Roger, thinking as fast as he can, tries to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.)
''Yes,'' he says.
(Elaine, deeply moved, touches his hand.)
''Oh, Roger, do you really feel that way?'' she says.
''What way?'' says Roger.
''That way about time,'' says Elaine.
''Oh,'' says Roger. ''Yes.''
(Elaine turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she speaks.)
''Thank you, Roger,'' she says.
''Thank you,'' says Roger.
Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted, tortured soul, and weeps until dawn, whereas when Roger gets back to his place, he opens a bag of Doritos, turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a tennis match between two Czechoslovakians he never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it's better if he doesn't think about it. (This is also Roger's policy regarding world hunger.)
The next day Elaine will call her closest friend, or perhaps two of them, and they will talk about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail, they will analyze everything she said and everything he said, going over it time and time again, exploring every word, expression, and gesture for nuances of meaning, considering every possible ramification. They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never getting bored with it, either.
Meanwhile, Roger, while playing racquetball one day with a mutual friend of his and Elaine's, will pause just before serving, frown, and say''Norm, did Elaine ever own a horse?''
This is the one that I was thinking about. This is a great book, and has the same main characters running around as Night Watch. If you are going to enter the land of Terry Pratchett, not a bad way to start.
If you buy the books off Amazon, by using these image links, I credit for the sales.
I mentioned this Terry Pratchett book, but really it this one comes after Guards! Guards! and it would be better to start with Guards! Guards!, and then read this one
later. 
Soul Music begins the books with my favorite character of Terry Pratchett, Susan; Death's Grand Daughter. In fact Susan is probably responsible for my character
Elaine, in the Shadow Dance series; Scarred Lands. Though the two characters are different in many aspects, their personalities certainly do have crossing points (mostly in the bones area).
Again, with this book, you really don't need to know anything about Disc World to enjoy it, but if you have already read Guards! Guards!, then you will enjoy it a bit more.
I have discovered two other books (by the same author "Scott Lynch") which are great fantasy books as well.
Welcome to the world of Scott Lynch, a writer who appears not to be well known at the moment, but that is sure to change. It has been years since I've read a fantasy
The Gentlemen Bastards are finally back in Scott Lynch's new novel Red Seas Under Red Skies. Locke and Jean decide that depression and longing for times past is just not making it, and set out to take on the biggest, most deadly target they can come up with, which in true Lamora fashion turns out to be fairly
accurate, especially the deadly part.
I have several web sites, which I post all kinds of stuff on.
My Fantasy web site
http://www.glennhefley.com The main web site
And of course this one.
http://eddiecatwalking.blogspot.com
The Walking with Eddie Cat Blog,
tales of my travels.
Eddie got himself covered in tree-sap at some point during the night.
We have been over at the Sonrise Church, taking advantage of the age-old tradition of sanctuary, and the surprisingly warm hearts I've come across inside those walls. Anyway, we have been over there so often that Eddie has figured out his territory and boundaries, so I occasionally take him off the leash and let him "hunt". He's been very effective in removing several mice, a rat and a gopher so far (which he deposits at my head, then sleeps on the small of my back... job done).
Some how Eddie Cat got his back and hind-legs covered in some type of tree sap. Not sure what type, though it isn't the pine (which is good). I not really sure what it is, but it was hardening by the time I woke up and even minor movements were causing Eddie Cat obvious pain.
So I spent the morning rubbing coconut oil into his fur and brushing it out. Some of the clumps were too large for even that process so I scissored them.
To his credit Eddie Cat only bit me once, when his patience with the process had reached its limit. After growling at each other for about a minute, he laid back down and I finished getting the tree-sap out of his fur.
So it has been an active morning, and now it is well into the noon time, and I have to get a promised lunch. So off I go.
Apparently, even with all of the smoke and mirrors given to me last time at Court, … if I showed up this time (at the Readiness Trail), then I was innocent of all charges. I reason this because that is all I did…, show up…, and all of the charges were dropped. Since this one got muddled up by my past exploits, and I don't have video or recording of the event, I'm just going to let it go. The next fun filled adventure is on April 1, 2008. This is the one I have the video of (actual evidence) to support; so I won't be just "letting it go." I'm going to push it to trail and in civil court as well.
Have not heard anything yet from the ACLU, which is a bit disappointing, but I will continue to do the footwork and move forward. Hopefully they will be able to jump on-board as well. I would like to insure a very one-sided battle in getting this law unenforceable. I believe that what I have now is enough to insure a "win", but I'm not much interested in a "fair fight".
The San Diego County Superior Court however, appears to not be interested in prosecuting these Illegal lodging tickets from Santee. If they plead innocent, then it is dropped by the DA. But at the very least, this process of pleading innocent requires two days of court time. This is not enough to walk away from it and simply educate the homeless in Santee to plead innocent no matter what the "deal" is, or what the jail time threat is issued. The threat to the homeless is two days in court, sitting there while everything they own may be discovered and stolen. There is always the threat that the homeless may not be in a position to make the court date, or the follow up "Readiness" trail as well. Heck, a lack in meds could put some of them in a mental state that they don't remember to show up, or what they are doing there.
Besides that, even though the courts are not prosecuting, the Sheriffs are still enforcing (heartily) this unconstitutional municipal code. Enforcing it as a direct threat, and using it as an abusive tool under the badge of authority. As far as I can tell, this appears to be a Hate Crime on the part of the Deputies, but I'll let my lawyer see where we are going to go with that. Again, my main target is the SMC, nothing more.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION
Reports done by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the Department of Justice about hate crimes against homeless people prompted the California State Legislature to take action.
Senate Bill 1234, which was introduced in February of 2004 by State Senator Kuehl, became public law in September of the same year and went into effect in July of 2005. It is now California Penal Code 13519.64.
This law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards to develop a two-hour telecourse to be made available to all law enforcement agencies in California on crimes against homeless people and how to deal effectively and humanely with homeless people, including those with disabilities. The telecourse is to include information on multi-mission criminal extremism, which includes crimes committed in whole or in part because of the victims’ actual or perceived homelessness. In developing the telecourse, the commission is to consult subject-matter experts including, but not limited to, homeless and formerly homeless persons in California, service providers and advocates for homeless people in California, experts on the disabilities that homeless people commonly suffer, the California Council of Churches, the National Coalition for the Homeless, the Senate Office of Research, and the Criminal Justice Statistics Center of the Department of Justice.
Something that has come to mind of late, with my "The Lawless Christian" research and these local experiences, is that Laws don't make you safe, or promote safety, or culture a feeling of safety. Laws are simply the beginning of arguments and battles.
Too often, I feel, Christians hold the bible up, black covers clamped in righteous fist like a bludgeon, and say "This is the Word of God!" When what they mean is, "this is the Law of God". Some how the meaning and the text have become lost amongst the believers.
I don't feel this is simply semantics, since the disciples, following Jesus' example, go to great lengths to distinguish between the Law and the Word. The New Testament is not the Word of God, Jesus is the Word of God.(John 1:14) His message powered by the Holy Spirit transcends static text and language. The New Testament is a record of the Word of God, it is not the Word itself. I don't feel that this clarification devalues the importance of the New Testament in anyway, but simply recalls its original and intended value. I do believe however that to ignore the message and teachings of the Christ, and to insist that the Bible and the Word are the same thing, is to devalue the purpose and meaning of Christ's sacrifice. "The letter kills, but the spirit gives life," 2 Corinthians 3:6
We are too often distracted by the light glowing brightly on the dark wall and forget the value and purpose of the light's source. Too often we grasp at what we can see and hold in our hand, rather than reaching out to that which is beyond our current perceptions.
Jesus, the Word of God, is much like the concept of Freedom. Everyone believes that Freedom is a good thing, but not everyone is willing to take responsibility for their freedom. Thomas Jefferson once said "Those who wish for Freedom and Safety, deserve neither."
Freedom is a lot of work, and enacting Freedom in our lives is to take full responsibility for our lives; to give up all the excuses and crutches for our faults and shortcomings; to say "I am responsible for my life because I choose Freedom over servitude."
2Cr 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.
2Cr 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
2Cr 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
2Cr 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.
2Cr 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.
t is evident, then, that the oldness of the letter, in the absence of the newness of the spirit, instead of freeing us from sin, rather makes us guilty by the knowledge of sin. Whence it is written in another part of Scripture, "He that increases knowledge, increases sorrow," Ecclesiastes 1:18 —not that the law is itself evil, but because the commandment has its good in the demonstration of the letter, not in the assistance of the spirit; and if this commandment is kept from the fear of punishment and not from the love of righteousness, it is servilely kept, not freely, and therefore it is not kept at all.
For no fruit is good which does not grow from the root of love. If, however, that faith be present which works by love, Galatians 5:6 then one begins to delight in the law of God after the inward man, Romans 7:22 and this delight is the gift of the spirit, not of the letter; even though there is another law in our members still warring against the law of the mind, until the old state is changed, and passes into that newness which increases from day to day in the inward man, while the grace of God is liberating us from the body of this death through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Augustine's book on the Spirit and the Law is amazingly close to what I'm striving for here (again, I've never really been original in my works).
I'm still working through all of this "knowledge" that I'm compiling, striving to better understand the nature of what was taken from us at the Tree, and what was returned to us at the Cross.
I apologize if all of this research and fumbling about the scriptures has become a burden to you (reader), especially if you have come here to learn more about the homeless and how to help. But I am not a single minded person, who does not strive to become fuller in life and in the Lord. So, again, I've tagged these particular notations and entries as "The Lawless Christian", giving to you the ability to find all of these, or ignore them as a group.
These areas, as I read the bodies of work they are from, helped a great deal in bringing to mind what I is I am after. While still ethereal in my mind, the idea of the "Lawless Christian" manifests a number thoughts which require deeper research. Not just for the writings I would like to do on this subject (I definitely prefer to have a good foundation in my understanding of the scriptures before delivering commentary), but also for my own enjoyment of the scriptures themselves.
There are still many good works to cover. Questions and Focal-Points such as the ones I have, are by no means original thoughts. I have always found that these questions and topics have been well covered since the times of antiquity, and rarely can I even suggest the claim of original perspective.
3. The fatal consequences came with a rush. There is a gulf between being tempted and sinning, but the results of the sin are closely knit to it. They come automatically, as surely as a stream from a fountain. The promise of knowing good and evil was indeed kept, but instead of its making the sinners 'like gods,' it showed them that they were like beasts, and brought the first sense of shame. To know evil was, no doubt, a forward step intellectually; but to know it by experience, and as part of themselves, necessarily changed their ignorant innocence into bitter knowledge, and conscience awoke to rebuke them. The first thing that their opened eyes saw was themselves, and the immediate result of the sight was the first blush of shame. Before, they had walked in innocent unconsciousness, like angels or infants; now they had knowledge of good and evil, because their sin had made evil a part of themselves, and the knowledge was bitter.
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/7gens10.txt
--Expositions of Holy Scripture, by Alexander Maclaren : (1826-1910) "was a Baptist minister. Born in Glasgow to Baptist parents, he was baptized in 1840 and trained at Stepney ,College.
http://www.puritansermons.com/bio/biomacla.htm
"The letter kills, but the spirit gives life," 2 Corinthians 3:6 which merely prescribes that we should not take in the literal sense any figurative phrase which in the proper meaning of its words would produce only nonsense, but should consider what else it signifies, nourishing the inner man by our spiritual intelligence, since"being carnally-minded is death, while to be spiritually-minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6 If, for instance, a man were to take in a literal and carnal sense much that is written in the Song of Solomon, he would minister not to the fruit of a luminous charity, but to the feeling of a libidinous desire. Therefore, the apostle is not to be confined to the limited application just mentioned, when he says, "The letter kills, but the spirit gives life;" 2 Corinthians 3:6 but this is also (and indeed especially) equivalent to what he says elsewhere in the plainest words: "I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet;" Romans 7:7 and again, immediately after: "Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me." Romans 7:11 Now from this you may see what is meant by "the letter that kills." There is, of course, nothing said figuratively which is not to be accepted in its plain sense, when it is said, "You shall not covet;" but this is a very plain and salutary precept, and any man who shall fulfill it will have no sin at all. The apostle, indeed, purposely selected this general precept, in which he embraced everything, as if this were the voice of the law, prohibiting us from all sin, when he says, "You shall not covet;" for there is no sin committed except by evil concupiscence; so that the law which prohibits this is a good and praiseworthy law. But, when the Holy Ghost withholds His help, which inspires us with a good desire instead of this evil desire (in other words, diffuses love in our hearts), that law, however good in itself, only augments the evil desire by forbidding it.
Something that has always bothered me about the story of the Fall of Man, is this "Knowledge of Good and Evil", this sudden insight into the nature of Sin, and the subsequent requirement of Laws which we (Man), have no chance of really understanding.
This has bothered me since I was a child in my Grandfather's church.
To paraphrase the story, we (Man) is told not to eat (by God) of the tree of Knowledge. We do eat from it, and suddenly we have this Knowledge.
Now, what has always been a quirk in my understanding of this tale, has never been the reason for the existence of the tree, or why God put it within our grasp. Those are simply the parameters of God's creation. He wanted the Tree there, just like he wanted Lions, Tigers and Bears. What sticks in my head is what happens next…
We have this "Knowledge" and the first thing we come up with, is we are Naked, and Naked is "wrong"; Naked is something to be ashamed of… which surprises God. After all, he's been looking at our Naked selves for quite some time.
The Law and the Word
Perhaps it is my focus during these last few months, and perhaps it is just the season, but I've been contemplating the differences between the biblical meaning of the Law and the Word of late.
Most of this contemplation has been fragmented and disjointed at best, as the period of time the subject entices me most, is when I'm walking to my work spot, or back to the Sonrise Church.
But there have been some interesting injections into my day from periodic readings, and the bible study groups I have been attending. Nothing thunder-stroked, but enough to see some perspectives, which I have been aware of, but have not fully appreciated.
Law is something we naturally seem to either think of defending ourselves against, or trying to work around so that we still get what we want. Laws, historically and sociologically, have never enhanced nor nurtured a population of peace; but rather a population of control.
We call it "Original Sin" but what I think the "apple" really signifies is the "Origin of Sin". For as we find in the verses of the New Testement, There is no Sin, without the Law, and only with the law is Sin and Death manifest.
Jesus came to return us to Lawlessness.
John 1:1:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14:
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 6:63:
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Acts 6:4:
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Acts 19:20:
So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
Hebrews 7:28:
For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
I John 1:1:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
The Law was given to the Hebrews through Moses. It is called the Torah by the Jews. The Torah (Hebrew: תּוֹרָה Translit.: torah Translated: doctrine, teaching) has been revered as the inspired word(s) of God, as it is said by tradition to have been revealed to Moses by God. The Torah is the (written) Law or written Torah (unlike the oral Law called Mishnah).
God gave Moses the law because after the fall of man and the ejection from paradise, man was lost and confused in his attempts to fin meaning or direction in life. More than that however, the Law became required because Man, through the eating of the fruit, became aware of "Good" and "Evil". The phrase is quoted as the "Knowledge of Good and Evil", however, this translation at this time may be confusing.
Rabbi David Fohrman of the Hoffberger Foundation for Torah Studies, citing Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed, states that "the tree did not give us moral awareness when we had none before. Rather, it transformed this awareness from one kind into another." After eating from the Tree, humanity's innate sense of moral awareness was transformed from concepts of true and false to concepts of good and evil. Genesis describes the tree as desirable (3:6), and our concepts of good and evil, unlike our concepts of true and false, also have an implicit measure of desire.
According to George M. Lamsa, "The tree of the knowledge of good and evil" is an Aramaic idiom that means moral law, the knowledge of good and evil. If so the fruit of the tree might be using moral law as a tool to break the commandment "Judge not."
Know; Knowledge:
no, nol’-ej (in Hebrew chiefly yadha‘, noun da‘ath; in Greek ginosko, oida’ "to know fully," epiginosko, noun gnosis epignosis): Knowledge strictly is the apprehension by the mind of some fact or truth in accordance with its real nature; in a personal relation the intellectual act is necessarily conjoined with the element of affection and will (choice, love, favor, or, conversely, repugnance, dislike, etc.). Knowledge is distinguished from "opinion" by its greater certainty. The mind is constituted with the capacity for knowledge, and the desire to possess and increase it. The character of knowledge varies with its object. The senses give knowledge of outward appearances; the intellect connects and reasons about these appearances, and arrives at general laws or truths; moral truth is apprehended through the power inherently possessed by men of distinguishing right and wrong in the light of moral principles; spiritual qualities require for their apprehension spiritual sympathy ("They are spiritually judged," 1Co 2:14).
Knowledge is affirmed of both God and man, but with the wide contrast that God’s knowledge is absolute, unerring, complete, intuitive, embracing all things, past, present, and future, and searching the inmost thoughts of the heart (Ps 139:1,23); whereas man’s is partial, imperfect, relative, gradually acquired, and largely mixed with error ("Now we see in a mirror darkly .... in part," 1Co 13:12). All these points about knowledge are amply brought out in the Scripture usage of the terms.
The Term Knowledge for me right now is in deep question. While the Hebrew uses the word "knowledge" I am not sure of the tense that is used, and the Tense in this case has huge alterations in meaning.
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![Arsenic and Old Lace [Region 2]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21PA61G5A8L.jpg)
Two old women in Los Angeles called the "Black Widows" in the press have been arrested and charged with murdering two homeless men in order to collect the insurance on them. This money for murder scheme netted the two women 2.8 million dollars before police tracked them down. (Read the Story here)
I was just talking about that old Cary Grant film Arsenic and Old Lace yesterday. While Santee on the whole is certainly not a great place for the homeless person, even one trying to get off the streets and regain a position in life, So far they haven't started running them over with cars, or killing the homeless for money.
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| Sonrise March 13 2008 Giving Love |
Finished with Dr. Avery's project today, but we have a lot more to do together here in the future.
I like working with clients like Dr. Avery, he has a good message, and he's an excellent writer as well, meaning he knows how to bring his message across to the reader. I'll be working on book promotion with him, as well as some video work here in the near future, while he works on his next book.
I'm sure I'll be talking quite a bit about him in the future.
A manager at one of my favorite hang-outs here in Santee told me the other day that Starbucks is going to change over from T-Mobile to AT&T for the wireless hotspot service.
These news articles appear to verify that story, but I did see some contrary articles out there.
Wall Street Journal
Wired News
ZDNet News
Washington Post
I don't mind the change, because it will save me about $50.00 a month not having to have both (I frequent Barnes and Nobel as well), so that is good, but AT&T has always been the inferior of the two services to me. First of all I can't use my POP account on Gmail with it (have to go to the GMail web site to send out mail), and the service cuts you off after an hour or so, requiring you to log back in, which is a pain when you are downloading large files (like videos from clients who need them edited the next day).
Of course, since I'm homeless right now in Santee, I probably use the services much more than the average person, and I certainly stress them much more than the average person because of my various trades. So my complaints may not be incidents which you may notice is your usage.
Something I have noticed however, is that T-Mobile hasn't bothered to send anything to me regarding this switch over.
I don't know the Mayor of Santee, never had the need to look anything up on him, or what his views really were; but I just ran across this little tid-bit of information:
"Basically we don't have a homeless problem (in Santee), except down by the river, and those people are camped illegally and destroying the environment," he said. "I'm not a homeless advocate in any way, shape or form."
Voepel said he'd received very few complaints from his constituents on Santee's abstention from supporting the plan I wrote about today. "I believe that the more homeless programs we fund in Southern California, the more people come here and be homeless," said the man who refers to his city as the La Jolla of East County. "I have a very hard-nosed viewpoint, a very conservative viewpoint. Some people say it's very un-Christian, but I am a Christian."
While the police officers in Seattle use their Obstructing a Police Officer charge as leverage, the local Santee Sheriff deputies like to use the "Lodging" municipal code for the same thing, handing out Lodging tickets to any homeless person, who is doing anything within the sight of these roving patrols. Lodging is also used as an excuse to rough up homeless people. As was told to me, "You are trespassing in the public park, because you are homeless".
Despite the fact that the 10.20.150 SMC states that it is an "overnight" offense, the sheriff deputies seem to forget this aspect of the law quite frequently.
I am truly hoping that this week will begin to see some changes in this law. But what about the attitude behind the law? Will our local deputies simply switch over to another law, Obstructing an Officer, for example, and continue the harassment campaign? I would like to believe that the only reason they are enforcing this very silly code is they are being told to by local government. But my last encounter with the local law enforcement has left me feeling rather dubious of this assessment.
Something I have been curious about and finally got around to looking up is "what the heck is Lodging?" According to the Santee Municipal Code Definitions 17.04.140 a Lodging Unit is:
“Lodging unit” means a room or group of rooms used or intended for use by overnight occupants as a single unit, whether on a transient or residential occupancy basis, located in a motel or dwelling unit providing lodging, whether or not meals are provided to such persons. Where designed or used for occupancy by more than two persons, each two persons capacity shall be deemed a separate lodging unit. For the purpose of determining residential density, each two lodging units shall be considered the equivalent of one dwelling unit.But there is no definition for Lodging as it pertains to the 10.20.150 law. There is also no definition of Camping, or what they could possibly mean by Tarry.
