daryldean.com

It seems that the advertising industry in Lebanon has taken it upon itself to try and make Lebanon, and thus the World, a better place. There are currently campaigns running such as “When Will I Be Lebanese” which takes aim at sectarianism. (Why should you care what religion you are, you’re Lebanese.)

The best example I have seen of this rise in patriotic (jingoistic?) advertising is this one. It was done for free by the Beirut branches of H&C Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi. They donated their time for free. Everyone involved in the project donated their time and equipment for free. And it is being aired right now on Lebanese television for free.

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Posit: God is omnipotent. All knowing, all seeing. God knows everything about everything, all that has been, all that is and all that will ever be. Christianity teaches this as the very basis of existence itself, and if you believe in God, you must accept this to be the absolute truth.

In the Christian tradition, we are also taught that God has given Mankind free will. The ability to make our own choices and to determine our own destiny. That there is no destiny, other than what we make for ourselves.

As Adam chose to bite the apple in the Garden of Eden, so are we all free to choose what we will do, and if that will be good or evil. But if God knows everything, then he must have known that Adam would bite the apple. Even before the apple that Adam would bite, or the teeth that Adam would bite with, were created.

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So a short time ago I had some Jehovah’s Witnesses come to my front gate. What on Earth (or in Heaven, Hell or anywhere else) would drive people to expose their children to such trauma is beyond me. But that’s not what this post is about.

For the sake of my fingers, hereinafter the Jehovah’s Witnesses will be referred to as the JW’s. No offence is intended…it’s like referring to Jemaah Islamiyah as “JI” or L. Ron Hubbard as “Nutjob”.

This post is about a couple of really basic things that the JW’s believe. No, not the transfusion thing, there’s some actual sense to that if you go back 100 years or so. (Or to the AIDS epidemic.)

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So, it seems the Mighty United States is getting closer and closer to admitting failure in Iraq. As one of the very many that was duped into believing it was a good war to fight, I suppose there is a part of me that feels like gloating it over Dubya. Not just Dubya, but Rumsfeld, Cheney and Wolfowitz as well. But I can’t do that.

Tomorrow is ANZAC Day here in Australia, so perhaps it is a time for reflection.

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Brace yourselves, I think the Vodka market is about to collapse.

Seriously, he surely wasn’t the greatest man to ever lead a nation, but at least he wasn’t Putin.

I don’t need any more convincing. Iran seems to have decided that it wants a showdown with the West, and it wants it sooner rather than later.

By “showdown”, I don’t mean a war - though that may eventuate - but I believe they really do want to see how far the West can be pushed before we threaten and/or use force.

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No man is an island, goes the saying.

To find your own island is best.
For rejuvenation and rest,
To recover and rejoin the fight.

But islands are not for me.
Not out here on the moonlit sea,
For my eyes are too weak for the light.