It doesn't get any more lugubrious than that; the Terminator truly can terminate you!

That is if you have committed a crime in California and are hoping to get your death sentence commuted to mere life imprisonment without parole... by the Governator himself! Ah-nold sure is no spineless bumbling dweeb like Dubya - he will show no mercy on you, even if you have support pleading clemency for you!
Then again, even a spineless dweeb like Dubya shows no mercy on you - if you serve your country, he will send you fight the most senseless of wars so you will die on foreign soil - for not much at all!
I guess we've found a no-win situation here alright... Carry on lugubriously...

odds and ends & odd ends

The FDA approved two drugs on this date historically - sort of twin pharmaceutical bastards are they - Valium in 1963 and Halcion in 1982. The latter is described as a "chemical substance used to reduce tension and anxiety and induce calm (sedative effect) or to induce sleep (hypnotic effect). Also called a sedative-hypnotic drug". Hmm... "Most such drugs exert a quieting or calming effect at low doses and a sleep-inducing effect in larger doses. Sedative-hypnotic drugs tend to depress the central nervous system. (...) these actions can be obtained with other drugs, such as opiates (...)" Yes... the FDA knows what we need, don't they? I wonder why in blue blazes the legalization of marijuana is such a huge polemic in that case... oh yeah, of course - giant pharmaceutical mega-companies don't see it with a gentle eye that people can produce their very own homemade drugs - there is no money in it for THEM! See if I care though - I make use of exactly NONE of these "products" - my drugs are herbal teas, The Word and, on occasion, caffeine - the old-fashioned way! The FDA can keep their recommendations for all I care...! ;)

Did you know that, this past November 1st (what we have as the Day of All Saints now - not merely All Hallows), Death was in action live on television? Best Mate, an award-winning Irish racehorse only 10 years of age (although that is rather old enough for a horse), died of a heart attack while racing in front of millions of television viewers.

On November 3rd, Franck Kangundu and his wife Helene Paka, both Congolese political journalists, were assassinated on the eve of the elections there. Some countries will simply never get democracy right...

On the 4th of this month, Afghan poet and journalist Nadia Anjuman was found dead in her home in the western city of Herat. It was reported that she died as a result of injuries to her head. Her husband, according to police, has confessed to battering her but not to killing her. Anjuman was 25 years-old and is survived by her six-month-old daughter. What a fine husband she had...

Eddie Guerrero was not the only 38 year-old to die so prematurely this month - Minako Honda, a Japanese pop singer, was the exact same age when she passed on, nine short days ago. She had been diagnosed with myelocytic leukemia in January 2005 and died in Tokyo on November 6, 2005. She was single at the time of her death.

Not all November deaths are so sad or deplorable - five convicted murderers have been executed so far this month (two in Texas - what a surprise).
That is... hoping that all five were truly guilty and not one of them was a miscarriage of justice too many...

Really - it's a sad world we live in - especially when one has not FAITH to lean back on...
And thinks that there is nothing else beyond... this.
Trust me - there is lots more beyond this life... indubitably!

Eddie Guerrero knew so much (and it was a relief to see that so many other sports entertainers -such as Shawn Michaels, for one- know that too) and so do I.

More on that... in a jiffy.

+++

R.I.P. Eddie

Eddie Guerrero 1967-2005
The passing of another entertainer whose athleticism was remarkable - but he battled demons that would ultimately not only dog him throughout his career but put an end to his life far too prematurely.
The man was a mere few years older than I - and, like several others who rose to prominence for the masses in the old WCW, he is found dead in his hotel room while in the employ of the WWE. Drug usage was one of the demons Eddie Guerrero faced - mayhaps, like Brian Pillman before him (a wrestler with the same diminutive build and sharpness in the ring) his body could not take any longer the combined taxation of the grind of a wrestling schedule and the abuse of substance usage - that, ironically, was meant to allow him to endure.
His signature finishing move - the frogsplash - was nothing short of spectacular. Realistically, though, after so many frogsplashes and taking so many bumps, his own body must have been feeling the toll of it all - not his opponents' bodies. For those who have never seen Eddie in action - his WCW days are immortalized here below... alas the animation is gone from the image (Blogger truly does not like GIF images). So, I suggest going to my *luminous space* which I use primarily as an images repository - the album titled "luminous art & lesser art" contains the fully animated replica of the image below... (I do hope I am not going into excess with this luminous thematic of mine now...! Not to fear - this is lugubrious country now... Let us also hope that the animation is still supported by the old luminous space provider over there...).


Mr. Guerrero was a believer - and I had never known that about him. I only hoped that he was - as I hoped the same of my other favorites. The fact that he believed is not surprising, considering his ethnicity and origins - and surely it will help his loved ones at this time. Hopefully his fans can benefit from it too...

Many are those who say that only in our living years can we make the choice - to accept The Lord as Our Saviour. I would like to theorize that the souls of the deceased have a chance at redemption too - a tardy one, but there should always be time. As the saying goes - it is never too late to do the right thing. Appearances seemed to suggest that Eddie was not exactly religiously devoted, so to speak - but even his ring persona (whose habit was to lie, cheat and steal - nothing less) displayed that he was a family man - somehow, through it all! Those who knew him better could tell with greater accuracy just how much of a believer he really was - and the fact that he quoted from the Bible with frequency speaks for itself.

Beyond all that - the fact remains obvious; Eddie Guerrero was a child of God - and I had always hoped that he had God in his life. We hope people who die unexpectedly do, especially when we hardly know them. And of course I only knew Eddie as a wrestler. He surely did not expect to exit this world now (as he was scheduled to sneak up on the reigning champion yet again and probably snatch another championship victory - as when he defeated the invincible gargantuan Brock Lesnar - when no one else had managed to before). None of us know when we will make our exits - many such departures are premature and sudden demises. Having God in our lives is therefore imperative - call it, if you are lukewarm in your faith, the ultimate safety net. You have nothing to lose in believing - and all to gain! (No matter what a certain Frenchman would say -or has said, rather- about that...! But that is another story...)

The following should have been read by Eddie - and should be read by any one of us: those who believe need the reminder - and anybody who does not fully believe... needs it now, immediately. Or ASAP!

I am not the author of it - as it is, the author is... Anonymous.


***Ten Guidelines From God***
Effective Immediately, please be aware that there are changes
YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be
completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant
you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any
inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little
to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines.

1. QUIT WORRYING:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until! you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME:
Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials.
Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.
Problem with finances? Put it on My list.
Problems with your emotional roller coaster?
For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you.
All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:
Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much
stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started?
Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:
I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you
crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget.
Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!
I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life.
I want to hear you talk about your friends and family.
Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me.
I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:
I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where o are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.
Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you
have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:
You were taught to share when you were only two years old.
When did you forget? That rule still applies.
Share with those who are less fortunate than you.
Share your joy with those who need encouragement.
Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a
long time.
Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry.
Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have
children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to
so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so
much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list?
Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:
Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake.
I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:
As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return.
I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors.
But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me.
Don't ever forget......

Be a blessing to someone with your love.
Rather than focus upon the thorns of life, smell the roses and count YOUR blessings.
Blessings! ;)

R.I.P. Eddie