SMOKE SHOP. THOUGHTFUL ENTERTAINMENT. HOT BOX. THE CORNER BOOK STORE. BRINK OF WAR? MAYBE. MAYBE NOT. DEPENDS ON HOW WE WANT TO LOOK AT SOLEIMANI, QUD LEADER, DEATH. REFUGEE CHICK, FROM IRAQ WAS ON MSNBC LAST NIGHT, AND SHE SAID THERE ARE THREE FACTIONS THAT SEEM TO BE APPEARING IN IRAQ: (1) THOSE WHO WANT REVENGE ON THE U.S.A. FOR THE DEATH OF THIS INFLUENTIAL AND EXPANSIVE LEADER IN THE MIDEAST--THEY ARE OUT FOR BLOOD AND CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, BASED ON THE LOGISTICS OF SOLEIMANI'S FOLLOWERS--THAT IS DEFINITELY ONE WAY TO HANDLE THE CRISIS IN MY MIND; HOWEVER, (2) JUST LAST WEEK, THE IRAQI YOUTH, WERE MARCHING AND PROTESTING IN THE STREETS, CALLING FOR THE END OF "SECTARIAN" FACTIONS IN THE WAR TORN COUNTRY, AND FOR ALL IRAQIS TO COME TOGETHER, AS ONE, IRAQ, UNDER A "SECULAR" RUN GOVERNMENT, BASED ON THE RULE OF LAW! I LOVE THE YOUTH OF THIS WORLD! THEY ARE THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS, WHO ARE GETTING IT RIGHT! IF WE FAIL TO STUDY HISTORY, OR LEARN FROM IT, THEN, WE WILL FOREVER REMAIN A CHILD, DESTINED TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES OVER AND OVER AGAIN! EVEN IN THE SAME SECT, THERE ARE "ORTHODOX" AND "UNORTHODOX" OR "REFORMED" AND "UNREFORMED" MEMBERS, OFTEN WITH GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES, IDEOLOGIES AND BELIEFS. IT IS ONLY WHEN WE SET OUR RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCE ASIDE AT THE DOORS OF PARLIAMENT OR CONGRESS OR IN OUR COUNTRIES LEGISLATIVE BODIES, THAT WE ARE TRULY FREE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL THE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRIES! PERHAPS WE NEED TO YIELD MORE TO THE NEW GENERATION, "GENERATION EVERYBODY" AND ALLOW "HEALING" TO TAKE PLACE WORLDWIDE? MAYBE? (3) THEN THERE IS THE "WORRYING CLASS" OF IRAQIS WHO ARE SO SICK AND TIRED OF UNREST, WAR, AND BLOODSHED, THAT THEY JUST WANT THE UNITED STATES TO COME IN A TAKE OVER EVERYTHING, AND KEEP THEM SAFE! I AM SURE YOU KNOW MY PREFERENCE, BUT IT IS NOT MY CALL! ONCE AGAIN, I REITERATE, THE FACT, THAT, I DON'T BELIEVE, WE CAN EVER HAVE WORLD PEACE, WHICH IS WHAT, I BELIEVE, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ON EARTH WANT, UNLESS WE GIVE PEOPLE THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION, BUT ALSO THE FREEDOM FROM RELIGION! FOR THE MOST PART, THE WORLD IS MADE UP OF THREE GENERAL RELIGIONS FACTIONS, BY IN LARGE, AND THIS IS A BIG PICTURE BLOG: (1) CHRISTIAN; (2) MUSLIM; AND (3) ASIAN OR EASTERN PHILOSOPHIES, FROM BUDDHISM TO SHINTOISM. THERE REALLY ARE MORE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE FAITHS AND BELIEFS, THAN DIFFERENCES. TAKE FOR INSTANCE, CHRISTIANS, WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST--WELL, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THE MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD, WITH CHRIST BEING A GREAT TEACHER, AND SECOND, IN THEIR WORSHIP! WHILE ASIAN THINKING AND BELIEFS, MAY NOT FORMALLY BELIEVE IN A GOD, OR THE AFTERLIFE, THEY DO, HOWEVER, REFLECT STRONGLY ON THE TEACHINGS OF PEACE, LOVE, AND BEING GOOD TO YOUR FELLOW MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD. WE COULD, THEN, BOIL THAT DOWN TO THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS UPON WHICH, ALMOST ALL RELIGIONS AND BELIEFS, CONTAIN, THAT OF LOVING A HIGHER BEING OR GOD, ALLAH, BUDDHA, AND, LOVING OUR FELLOW MEN, AS OURSELVES! LOVE IS THE ANSWER, AND THEN, LET, THE LAWS BE DETERMINED, IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS, OUR CORE BELIEFS, AND, MAKES THINGS GOOD FOR EVERYONE. MY TWO CENTS WORTH. GO IRAQI YOUTH! I STAND BEHIND YOU 100%! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!! NOW IS A TIME TO BE CALM AND NOT PARTY ON! WE ARE ALL, CONNECTED, ECONOMICALLY, ENVIRONMENTALLY, EVEN SOCIALLY, THROUGH THE INTERNET, SHARING THE SAME AIR, THE SAME WATER, AND THE SAME PLANET! I LOVE THE PHRASE, "WE DON'T HAVE A PLANET B!" PLAYING ON THE THOUGHT, IF PLAN A FAILS, WHAT IS OUR PLAN B? NEWSFLASH, WE DON'T HAVE A PLANET B, WE DON'T GET TODAY BACK, THERE ARE NO REPLAYS, OR TAKE OVERS! HOW IMPORTANT IS SOLEIMANI'S DEATH TO WHERE WE ARE IN THE WORLD, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW? CRITICAL. BE CAREFUL. WE NEED PEACE IN THE MIDEAST! THAT IS BEST FOR ALL HUMANITY. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ALL OUR WORLD LEADERS . . . FOR OUR KIDS, OUR GRAND KIDS, WHAT WE DO TODAY, RIGHT NOW, MATTERS!

GOD BLESS IRAN!

GOD BLESS THE WORLD!

GOD BLESS THE YOUTH IN IRAQ!

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW!

I AM "UNREFORMED!"

HUGS. KISSES. LOVES!

MAY AN ALMIGHTY POWER WRAP HIS OR HER ARMS AROUND THIS WORLD, AND COMFORT, BLESS, AND, IMPROVE IT, AT THIS TIME OF NEED!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

TO THE THREE HEADED, "BEAST" OF THE SEAHAWKS (LYNCH-TURBIN-HOMER), MAY THE STRENGTH OF ULYSSES BE WITH YOU!

CONGRATS TO SEAHAWK, LB, BOBBY WAGNER, MAKING, NFL, ALL-PRO HONORS, BREAKING A TEAM RECORD!

HINT TO BEATING THE EAGLES, COMES FROM THE HEADLINES IN THE SEATTLE TIMES: Eagles think turnover turnaround will get them past the Seahawks . . . 

KEY TO THE GAME, FORCE TURNOVERS!

GO HAWKS!

SEA---HAWKS!

SEA--HAWKS!

SEA--HAWKS!

PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE, SHOW UP AT THE COIN TOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK IN PHILLY!