End Of Year Review
By many measures 2008 was a helluva year. Baba Orunmila said that this would be a year of great change. To quote Baba, “This will be for good, better, and yet also worse. Oya is blowing and the landscape of life will begin this beautiful metamorphosis that is change. Do not be confused as change is wonderful. But ugly things can, and do, happen during the process.” Truer words were never spoken. And boy did Iya Oya blow.
2008 started off with some of the craziest weather seen in forever. A monster blizzard in China just in time for the Chinese new year brought that country to a screeching halt and threatened many people’s ability to celebrate the coming year of the rat. Snow in Los Angeles of all places. There were reports of tornadoes taking out targets in Tennessee in early February. We saw satellite photos of the Wilkins Ice Shelf collapsing into the ocean off the coast of Antarctica in the southern half of the globe and glaciers in the northern half that have existed for thousands of decades are on the verge of extinction. But for many people global warming continues to be nothing that warrants attention. A cyclone hits Myrammar and kills tens of thousands. An earthquake hits China and kills tens of thousands more. The changes in our natural environment are beginning and we are woefully prepared for what is to come.
The economy burst out the gate erratic. While the recession was far from being official, unofficially it was way too real for a lot of people. Back in January something like sixty thousand jobs were lost. But that was just the start. Well over a million American jobs were lost in 2008. And while the petroleum giants were raking in their astounding profits fueled by four dollar a gallon gasoline, automobile manufacturers hit bottom and were asking the government for help. A variety of financial institutions ceased to exist as independent entities. But others, believed to be too big to fail, received the nurturing handouts of government sponsored bailouts. While AIG and other financial institutions get a no strings attached bailout easily topping one hundred billion dollars that can be used for anything and everything like executive retreats at lavish resorts and seven figure executive retention payments that look amazingly like end of year bonuses, automobile manufacturers have to agree to an hourly wage cut before they can get a dime.
And do we really need to point out the changes in politics, at least in America? After well over two hundred years America is finally going to have a President that is not a white male. That’s the news of a couple centuries. Political change was coming even if President-elect Barack Obama was not elected. If the Republican presidential nominee had won we would have had our first female Vice President. Thankfully, America dodged that bullet like a President dodges a couple of Iraqi loafers. But that’s not all. Louisiana made a couple of politically historic moments as well with the election of Republican Bobby Jindal as the first Governor of Indian American decent, and the election of Republican Anh Joseph Cao to Congress makes him the first Vietnamese American to go to Washington.
Baba Orunmila also said that many have overreached and are looking for Orisa to come to the rescue. How many people pray for better days? And true, relatively speaking not many people pray specifically to Orisa. But a lot of people are clinging to their faith in these hard times. Whatever people’s beliefs, they pray to their spiritual entities for some kind of relief for the mess they have made of their lives. This past year, like every year of our lives, should have been used as an opportunity to make adjustments and wiser choices. The potential for loss is great and people who try to face the ways of the world separated from the support of family and friends would do better if they had true allies.
I wonder how many people actually heard Baba Orunmila’s reading for last year and took it to heart. I wonder how many people actually took the steps necessary to make adjustments in order to better prepare for what was coming last year. And now that the year is over, how successful were we in our preparation or lack thereof.
Like many people I could have done better this year. But I also could have done so much worse. Thankfully, I had my family around me and with me in every endeavor I had to make this year. Like everyone else I have to take the somewhat vague things that Baba Orunmila tells us and figure out for myself the best way to respond. Regardless of what many students of Ifa claim, children of Orisa don’t get a free pass or any advantage when it comes to facing the challenges of life. We can live and we can die just like anybody else. How we chose to live is based on the same choices that, for the most part, apply to everyone else. We have the choice to take the reading to heart and try to prepare or we can disregard what was said and take our chances with the spiritually deaf and dumb.
I have yet to hear the reading for the next year. I’m willing to bet it will be very similar to 2008 if not worse. I hope to hear the word of Orunmila and take it to heart. Listening to the reading and then making changes to stay in harmony with nature and the environment can be extremely difficult. But change is the only constant in the universe and the changes to come are bound to make the changes we’ve been through pale in comparison. But as humans, if we take the time to build our social strengths we are more likely to survive changes together with less fuss than we are as individuals too rigid to compromise. Whether we want to or not the next year is coming. I look forward to hearing it.
Quick Notes 200901
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Michael Steele?
I guess this means that the Republican Party is no longer racist.
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Republican National Committee
The Republican Party is working towards political obscurity at the national level. The RNC votes as a bloc to reject Mr. Obama’s stimulus plan and then crows about their obstruction tactics. They demand more tax cuts because the tax cuts of the past eight years have worked so well for the economy.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Mission For Emissions
Automobile manufacturers say that it would be too confusing to let states set their own emission standards. I say just make cars to meet the strictest rules and call it a day. I didn’t even need billions of dollars in bailout funds to come up with that idea.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Blagojevich Takes Case To Media
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich makes his case to Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America regarding the unfairness of the impeachment process he faces. Mr. Blagojevich figures it is to his advantage to defend himself in the court of public opinion instead of the Illinois Congress that is actually making the decision. And he’ll wonder why he lost his job.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Drunk Negro Cookies
Ted Kefalinos’ Drunken Negro Face cookies are a tribute to President Barack Obama that ranks right up there with Obama Waffles and Barack the Magic Negro. The owner of this haughty upscale bakery in New York said the cookies were in honor of our new President and made innuendos suggesting that he was hoping Mr. Obama would be assassinated. And now that people discovered the true nature of this clever prankster who wears his racism on his sleeve why do they continue to patronize his bakery?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Malia And Sasha Dolls
Ty, the maker of Beanie Babies, introduces two new Girlz dolls Marvelous Malia and Sweet Sasha. However, the toy maker says that it is just a coincidence that the dolls share the name of the President Obama’s two daughters.
Friday, January 23, 2009
China’s Taiwan Pandas
China cracks down on panda gangs!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Limbaugh Hopes Obama Fails
Conservative radio talk show personality Rush Limbaugh admits that he hopes Barack Obama fails in his attempt to right this sinking ship called the United States.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The First Couple
The first couple waves to well wishers as they make their way through the Inauguration parade route.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day
Time to make this a done deal!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Happy Birthday Dr. King
Happy Birthday Doctor King!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Gaza Cease Fire
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease fire. That rainbow over Gaza won’t last long though.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Icy Day
It’s been freakin’ cold!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Splashdown On The Hudson
Captain Chesley Sullenberger of US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus A320 with more than 150 passengers, splashed his plane down in the Hudson river after losing total power after colliding with birds just seconds after leaving the ground from LaGuardia Airport. Now that sounds like the kind of mavericky behavior people should be looking for in leadership.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Ricardo Montalban Passes
The actor that played Khan Noonien Singh has passed. He can finally get started on that path around perdition’s flames.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Mehserle Manhunt
Former transit police officer Johannes Mehserle, accused of killing an unarmed Oscar Grant on an Oakland train platform has been arrested in Nevada under a fugitive warrant issued from California. Doesn’t look very good for this guy.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Last Press Conference
George Bush walks away from the podium after conducting his last press conference as President. Only one more week to go!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Salmonella In Peanut Butter
Salmonella has been detected in peanut butter. It’s a sad day indeed when Jiff and Skippy become terrorist.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Israel Defies The United Nations
Israel defies the United Nations and refuses to honor a cease fire resolution. With the United States in its corner pocket what’s there to fear?
Friday, January 9, 2009
Gaza Cease Fire Passes
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice abstained from voting as the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, observed during a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza. With the removal of any objection from the United States, the U.N. managed to pass a resolution calling for an immediate cease fire in Gaza.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Largest National Monument Ever
Parts of three remote and uninhabited Pacific island chains totaling some 195,280 square miles have been set aside by President Bush as national monuments to protect them from oil and gas extraction and commercial fishing in what will be the largest marine conservation effort in history. At least on the surface that’s how it looks. Back in November Mr. Bush undermined EPA protection for national monuments making it easier for corporations to do whatever they want right next to national monuments.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Jobs Works To Stop Health Rumors
People have been asking about Apple’s iconic executive, Steve Jobs frail health. Mr. Jobs released a statement saying he has a hormone imbalance that has been robbing him of proteins. Does it really matter? The man has access to the very best healthcare in the world and money is no object. A better question is how do I get Apple’s iHealth coverage?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
More Death and Injuries In Gaza
More death and injuries at the hands of Israel for the people in Gaza. Who will empathize with the children of the Gaza Strip?
Monday, January 5, 2009
Richardson Withdraws Nomination
Governor Bill Richardson withdraws his nomination for Secretary of Commerce. Shame.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Gaza Ground Assault
The ground assault against Gaza has started.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Happy Birthday Mars Rovers
Four years and nine months past their ninety day warranty the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are still roaming the red planet without a single repair, maintenance visit, refueling, or anything else. These two machines were put on the back of rockets and shot tens of millions of miles across space to land by parachute on a desolate planet and in a harsh environment. But American ingenuity has difficulty competing with foreign automakers.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy Birthday Cuba
Good lord! Has it been fifty years already? Happy Birthday Cuba!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Finally, time to take those Kwanzaa angels off the Kwanzaa tree!
