January's Summation

January usually is one of those months that drag by at a snail’s pace but today I find myself exclaiming “I can’t believe January is gone”.  It has been cold and snowy most of this month and we have done a lot of “hunkering down” in the log cabin but it has been good for the body and soul.

The beginning of January found me zooming through Genesis but once I entered Exodus it wasn’t long before I was bogged down in tedium.  Moses goes on and on about the building and decorating of the Tabernacle and clothes ad naseum and I confess I started skimming rather than reading.  If he talked about the blue threads once he talked about it 6 times.  Boring.  Am I supposed to believe that Jehovah gave a detailed account on how to make a priest’s costume?  I’m kind of thinking NO.  Tomorrow I start on Leviticus and that should be more interesting as I learn all about sinning and what to do about it.  So much for the Bible reading.

On the “serious” study of theology I am currently jumping between two books, one on Forgiveness and one on Buddhism.  They go nicely hand in hand and so far I am finding Buddhism a peaceful, isolating kind of philosophy.  It’s rather like the medical oath “do no harm” where one looks more into one’s self rather than pointing outward and raising hell on earth.  But there is more to come so I cannot give a final say yet on this path of quietness other than to say, I like it.

January also found me in guerilla warfare with my Henriettas.  I’ve been up at 5 a.m. when I literally stalk the hens and catch them in their act of strutting along their roosts and putting their beaks up their sisters’ butts searching for their freshest treat.  You think I am joking?  Huh, the wonders of the natural world are somewhat frightening, let me tell you!  Lurking about the nests, taking an aggressive stance even against the Treat Giver, it’s all in the name of food and war to these girls!  But there appears to be a ray of hope in breaking the habit since they have observed the punishment of quarantining is serious and consistent.  In they go with my admonishing “think about what you did wrong” ringing in their ears.  Lately I have noticed a slight (by one egg) improvement in performance.  I do believe that between the “punishment” and more sunshine hours outside is starting to improve their spirits and behavior.  Time, of course, will tell the final tale.

Creatively there has been little action other than thinking and planning and that is all to the good.

We will skip over the little fender bender in the parking lot, the aches and pains of shuffling into older age and rejoice in new patterns of behavior.  And hey, February is a short month, March will do its thing and then we may be lucky enough to get another early spring.  Potting time is here and I have scored some great buys at Homesense. 

Life’s good.

Oprah's Brand Power

If you’ve been watching television at all this week you will have heard how Oprah, with one tweet, boosted the value of Weight Watchers by $150MM.  One has to be impressed with the economic clout of a woman like that.  Oprah may not be on conventional television anymore but her influence on people is still huge.

Reasons why she is influential include her enormous appeal as a down to earth, approachable person.  She won audiences over in her early days on her talk show by being open and honest about her own weaknesses.  She was always empathetic towards her guests and she really built on that connection.  As time went on she shifted the purpose of her show from being sensational and exploitive to being more informative and nurturing which exploded her popularity for a second time.  She went on to assist others with a career on television, Dr. Phil, Rachel Ray, Nate Berkus and Dr. Oz to name a few.  Along with that she recognized herself as a “brand” and started her O magazine empire, a radio network and then the OWN network.  This woman has huge media clout.

She has her Angel Network for charity work, her school for girls in South Africa, she has an Oprah Book Club (her endorsement makes the book a guaranteed best seller), she works with Deepak Chopra on Meditation, she publishes books taken from her articles in her O magazine, and on and on.  She is a power house of energy, ideas, and enthusiasms and through it all she makes a tremendous connection with people, particularly women.

Little wonder that any company would jump at the chance to have her on board as a spokesperson as well as assuming a seat on the board of directors.  We may have a gender gap but we also have some women who truly have risen to the top of the heap in the corporate world.  I am suitably impressed.

Handcrafts

My mother made a comment yesterday about what a shame it is that people don’t learn handwork anymore.  Mom started school at the age of 7 (no kindergarten) and even in first grade they had hand sewing while the boys did some kind of carpentry.  I have her little embroidered doily that she made when she was 7 years old, which she had done before she went to school.  Her older sisters also taught her how to knit before she went to school and she would knit clothes for her doll.  As I thought about it I did have to correct Mom by telling her that the success of Pinterest reveals that many people are still interested in handcrafts of all kinds, including embroidery, crochet and knitting.

We had mandatory home economics in grade 7 and 8 but we only had it once every 7 days for 90 minutes (2 periods of 45 minutes each).  We were put in cycles so we were lucky if we learned to cook something twice a year.  We had 6 sewing machines so the 16 girls would have to shift about for their turn to sew on the machines.  Those who were not in the kitchen or on the sewing machine basically sat around and read instructions since the teacher did not sit down with us to show us any hand stitching, not even how to baste our project.  It was quite pathetic and did not inspire me to have anything to do with home making of any sort.  Besides which my mother was such an expert at all types of handcrafts and cooking and was highly critical of both my sister’s and my efforts that both of us rapidly gave up any attempt at competing in that arena.  Once I got to high school I chose Art and French over Home Ec and said goodbye to any type of handwork until in my 30’s.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, I got very interested in cross stitching being quite addicted to it until my eyes started to give out.  I also went through a phase of crocheting in my late teens and early 20’s; I find crocheting easier than knitting but it’s limiting in a creative sense (with sweaters and tops, since crocheting is generally too loose for me).  Mom is now trying to encourage me to knit (which I did learn how to do when I was quite young).  Mom continues to knit despite severe arthritis in her hands and I am sure one of my strongest memories of my mother will always be her sitting watching TV with some knitting project in her hands. 

Handwork is soothing work so it is a pity that more people don’t do it since it would help relieve some of their stress and/or boredom. 

American Politics or Reality TV

2016 is going to see one of the most dramatic elections in American history simply because of the showmanship of Donald Trump.  When I heard that he was running for the Republican nomination more than a year ago I didn’t think he would go any real distance.  Needless to say I am amazed at his endurance despite running off at the mouth in a way that would have caused any other person to effectively alienate the voters.  But people are gobbling him up; not only is he mentioned in the news every day but he is on talk shows morning, noon and night, if only because the hosts are quoting his latest outrageous statement.

First let’s look at the number of Republican candidates; I’ve lost track but I believe at one point there were 19 running and currently there are still 12 in the race.  The only candidate who is decently civil is Jeb Bush and he is so far down in the polls that he doesn’t appear to have any chance at securing the nomination.  The current 3 front runners (Trump, Cruz and Rubio) are so obnoxiously rude not only to each other but to people in general that I feel incredulous that any of them have credibility with voters.  The things coming out of their mouths are so inappropriate, ignorant and racist that one can hardly believe that America is a civilized country.

Trump quotes:

“Listen you m-----f----- we are going to tax you 25%”

“I will build a great wall . . . and I will make Mexico pay for it.  Mark my words.”

“Laziness is a trait in the blacks . .  . “

“Rosie O’Donnell is disgusting inside & out.  You take a look at her, she’s a slob.  She talks like a truck driver, she doesn’t have her facts, she’ll say anything that comes to her mind” (pot vs kettle)

“If you can’t get rich dealing with politicians there’s something wrong with you” (values & morals)

“A certificate of live birth is not the same by any means as a birth certificate” (how's that?)

“He’s not a war hero.  He’s a war hero because he was captured . . .”

There are reams more of these idiotic statements and yet the people love him; they gobble up his sayings and say “right on, we are with you Donald”.  Taxing Chinese goods by 25%, isn’t that called a tariff?  And does this mean you are willing to alienate all your corporate buddies who have their automobile parts, clothing, running shoes, accounting, banking, telephone services and so forth – I’d like to see that but we know it ain’t gonna happen!  I would be astonished if one ethnic or female voter would vote for a man who vilifies these groups on a regular basis (perhaps I should say, anyone with a normal IQ within those groups).

Oh dear, did I just say whatever came into my mind?  Excuse me for my Trumpism.  By contrast the Democratic nomination is limited to 3 people this time around and for the most part the candidates have been extraordinarily civil towards each other. 

But as we know in American politics, it ain’t over until the fat lady sings.

What is Appropriate Reading

This morning there was a headline about a book that was recalled by Scholastic Books.  It was a story about slaves baking a cake for George Washington but apparently the slaves looked too happy while baking the cake and that would give children a wrong impression of slavery.  So my question right now is – why would that not have been considered when the book was first pitched to the publisher?  Apparently the year before there had been another book about slavery where the slaves looked too happy.

I’m not an expert on children but I would consider myself an expert on reading.  I began devouring books in Grade 4 when we first had a “library” at the back of the classroom.   I read anything that came to hand and I remembered absolutely everything that I read.  So when I began the Nancy Drew series I would question inconsistencies and it wasn’t long before I wondered why Nancy always won the sports even though George was the tomboy of the trio.  It did not strike me as odd that Ma Ingalls did not like Indians considering she was in the middle of an Indian uprising.  There was a balance in the books because Pa did like Indians and appreciated their knowledge.  When I read Gone with the Wind when at 14  I developed a sympathy for the South but I was never fooled into believing that slavery was good or that most slaves didn’t suffer terribly under that institution.  These are just some of the things I recall as “negative” exposure as a young reader. 

What I mean to say is that if parents have discussions with their children on a variety of subjects regularly and if the children are good readers I believe that they can discern for themselves what is right and what is questionable.  I realize that this doesn’t happen in all homes or in fact most homes so some books may not be appropriate to teach in school.

After reading the article I searched online for guidance on children’s books and appropriate reading and was amazed at how many excellent sites are out there.  I was also a little surprised at some of the recommended reading for youth but that’s for another time!  Bottom line, parents should encourage children to read a variety of books and should take the time to know what their children are reading.  Best of all, they should talk with their children daily. 

The Invisible Woman

I received a giftcard for Netflix at Christmas time and eventually I got myself all hooked up (don’t ask).  I began watching “Grace & Frankie” which is an original Netflix series with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.  I was quite surprised by the premise of the show and the humour may be a little dark but the third episode had me in stitches.  Both Grace and Frankie were in crisis and decided they wanted to smoke a cigarette so they went to the store to buy a packet.  They stood at the counter, waiting and waiting to get attention but to no avail.  They ended up having a meltdown when they kept being ignored before they left the store.  And there in the car Frankie opened a pack of cigarettes and lit it.  Grace asks “what, did you steal them?” and Frankie’s response was priceless “well, if we are invisible they can’t catch us”.

My readers may remember that I had written a blog a couple of years ago about how middle aged women are invisible, certainly not an original thought but it is funny when you see it caught on film.  Which brings me to the “scandal” of Amy Schumer being accused of stealing material from other comedians.  I saw a couple of the clips and honestly I didn’t think it was stealing.   Those comments have been spoken by women since time indefinite (putting down men in one way or another).  Whether Amy did or not is neither here nor there for me; I just want to say that many of us will have similar thoughts (even word for word) on a wide range of topics.  It’s called the human experience because as you can tell from my blog there are only so many things we can talk about.

Of course, there are many subjects that I don’t write about because I don’t want to go to jail (okay, this is tongue in cheek, folks).  Also, while I have opinions on almost everything I know that I am not an expert on most of those topics so who am I to beak off about spanking or skeet shooting?  I think people need to lighten up because let’s face it, no one really sees or hears you until money is involved!

New Information on Retirement

This morning I caught a headline about a new book on retirement specifically for men, called “Ready for Retirement” by Lyndsey Green.  I haven’t read the book so cannot comment on the content but since there are few books on the subject it may be worthwhile to pick this one up.  In the article she mentioned that many couples do not discuss their retirement dreams and so they end up having very different ideas about what they will do during their retirement years.  It is so ironic that we live in an age of communication with every possible device to communicate but old fashioned talking seems to be “out”.

I’ve included 2 links, one Canadian and one American with some useful information that should cheer you up on the numbers game.  Beyond financial information there is a really scarcity on the other 5 aspects of the retirement pie (Financial, Physical, Social, Spiritual, Mental and Activities) other than broad suggestions on looking at these areas.

With respect to physical and mental activity I think I will leave it simply with common sense suggestion to check in with your doctor before engaging in strenuous exercise; beyond that physical activity is a must at least 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes.  Simply walking is good enough but when you are retired you have enough time that you can incorporate several sessions of exercise within the day.  For example you could walk 30 minutes both morning and evening as well as include 30 minutes of yoga, Pilates or swimming.  All are very low cost activities.  With regard to mental activity, reading and crossword puzzles are cheap and easy although they are rather passive and will not necessarily stimulate your mind as much as learning something new.  So if you enjoy reading and courses are not for you the next best thing is to read to study something new.

I’ve also written in the past about the spiritual piece of the pie.  Spirituality can mean your participation in your religion but if you are not religious you still need to address your inner peace of mind, if you will.  Anywhere from beginners using 10 minutes of solitude to do a “check in” which can expand to a genuine meditation that can start with 10 minutes and grow up to 60 or 90 minutes, depending on how much you enjoy it and the time you have to “spare”. 

More importantly I would like to discuss Social and Activities today.

I have noticed, just as the article below mentions, that I am frequently alone because my peers are still working.  I have made a determined effort to stay social not just via social media but by picking up the phone and talking to friends as well as making social commitments regularly.  By regularly I mean a minimum of once every two weeks but frequently it is weekly.  But wait, I will not go “check” of the checklist quite so easily.  There came a time when I realize that I am doing 100% of the running in the social schedule and I found myself getting a little depressed.  Happily I have found a solution out of that mini crisis by discovering a little book at Costco called “Jumpstart Improving Your Mind” for a mere $6.99.  It’s a 90 day series of articles and exercises to encourage a positive mindset which focuses on removing negative feelings.  I highly recommend it.

Volunteering combines both social stimuli as well as keeping active.  There is a wide range of volunteer positions available so I won’t talk too much about that.  Many activities can include your physical activity such as golfing, hiking, skiing and so forth.  There are all kinds of clubs available from camera clubs to target shooting so it’s simply a matter of searching out the one that interests you most.  You are only limited by your own imagination and perhaps your physical limitations.

But take heed, start planning sooner rather than later, particularly if you are in a relationship.  It is very important to have similar goals and interests or at least a strategy to keep out of each other’s hair so your relationship will survive so much togetherness!  Happy planning, folks!

http://www.moneysense.ca/retire/10-things-they-wont-tell-you-about-retirement/ 

http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2015/02/17/10-surprising-facts-about-retirement

 

Fast Track to Garden Path

When I retired 16 months ago I hit the ground running with courses and building projects that took me through most of the first year.  I was able to keep up a tempo similar to that of my working life so my adjustment period was almost nil.  Now in my second year I will admit that I am struggling somewhat with a slower tempo particularly because it is winter so that it is difficult to labour in the grounds.  I find myself experiencing a certain sense of guilt because I am not “working”.  Reading with a pretense at studying, making a few crafts or researching online do not feel like true work.

Let me step back a little and recall what the pre-retirement facilitator mentioned to me about time.  He said that in retirement one should look back on the year, month or week with a feeling like “wow, that was great” rather than “how time has flown” and that idea really resonated with me.  I can truly say that the first year was indeed lived with that wow-factor.  I suppose one should be realistic and know that it cannot always be so hectic and so productive but slowing to a snail pace is very difficult for someone who has lived a very fast paced life, due in great part to my long commute over these past 15 years.

I am confessing to the fact that this retirement guru is still coming to grips with new factors in the next phase of her life but even as today we hit what they call “Blue Monday” I feel more optimistic than I have in a while.  Stopping to smell the roses daily will soon be the new normal and I am sure I will come to relish it just as much as living in the fast lane, in fact I will probably love it a great deal more!

Gender Gap Continues to Grow

I enjoy watching “To The Contrary” on Sunday mornings because the topics are often a little bit outside of the general political discussion.  Frequently they discuss gender issues and this weekend was no exception.  Aside from the fact that there is no surprise between the narrow mindedness spouted by the Republican representatives and the “normal” point of view of the Democrats it was interesting to realize that the gender gap seems to be widening rather than narrowing after 40 decades of “Women’s Liberation”.

As chance would have it last week I was visiting with some former colleagues and we happened to have a discussion on female bosses.  It is really interesting to hear how many women dislike female bosses and those bosses who appear particularly firm are seen as aggressive, cocky and/or arrogant.  Characteristics of authoritativeness in men are seen as aggression in women, no surprise there and yet I would have thought that women in general would have gotten past that very biased viewpoint. 

I can tell you that I have worked for female bosses and I have enjoyed working with them.  I think it behooves women to take a step back from their judgments and understand that female bosses have to take a very strong position in order to maintain their authority and continue their climb to the upper echelons of corporate power.  They are not doing anything differently from men, but they are (perhaps) behaving differently than less achieving women.  But they are not doing anything wrong.  It’s those who are judging them that are in the wrong.

As I see it.

Indictments

The other day I got very angry at the way corporations around the world avoid their share of taxes.  Not only their “fair share of taxes” but taxes of any kind.  Despite the stories (although few) written about these tax avoidances people seem very passive in allowing themselves to be screwed over, so to speak.  I just don’t understand it.  Most people don’t seem to feel in the slightest bit incensed that major companies like Starbucks, Tim Horton’s, Apple, Amazon and MacDonalds avoid taxes.  The really big corporations like the oil companies and banks they are even better at avoiding taxes.

But why don’t people get mad?  I understand that people feel powerless, that they have to make ends meet and so they may not have any energy to fight but really, can’t you at least get mad? 

Back in 1971 when I graduated from high school a university education was affordable for a regular family.  Tuition cost around $300 for a full year (i.e. classes went from September to April/May – that was one full term).  Books would cost between $150 and $300 depending on the courses.  Students could easily earn their second years tuition and book fees during their summer breaks.  Generally students got through university with little or no debt (the debt arising more from living expenses if they didn’t live at home).  A family ought to be able to create an environment in the home that encourages its children to strive for better opportunities which would most likely include secondary education.  But in today’s world this has become increasingly out of reach since education has become For Profit enterprises rather than a way of advancing the betterment of citizenship.

Why is this happening?  The bottom line reason is the same old snake in the grass, greed.

I entitled this article “Indictments” because I think it’s time that citizens start investigating those corporations that are complicit in keeping individuals in a constant state of submission.  Or do you think it is alright for citizens to be pushed down and back to the level of serfs?  Think it won’t happen, well, I ask you to think again.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

It’s been a while since I’ve written about the doings of my Henriettas and that is because they are so darn naughty they are this close from going to the Colonel.  That’s right, they have no shame whatsoever.  When I come into the coop at 6:30 a.m. they are lined up on their roosts, with their noses almost up the butts of their nesting sisters, just waiting for the egg to drop.  They don’t even pretend to move when I enter nor do they look the least little bit ashamed.

I try to get in three or four times in the next two hours and I manage to salvage about half of the production.  I’ve tried every cure known to chicken keepers; cabbages, mustard in broken eggs, quarantine.  I’ve used psychology, shaming, berating.  Nothing avails.  So now I have decided to play the waiting game.  Waiting for the sun to return so they can be shooed outside as soon as the sun comes up.

Despite their bad behavior the girls continue to amuse me.  They are so oblivious of their own wrong-doing and go about their business like the busy little girls they are.  Watching nature at work is something to smile about.

Walking on Down the Line

I have been pursuing my genealogical line since getting into the MyHeritage site and it has been really exciting to find ancestors further and further back, validated by distant cousins.  As I find new names of 5, 6 or 7^th generation grandparents I feel a deep connection with them.  And then I wonder about their lives, what they were like in personality how many children did they have, and so on.   It’s like personal archeology but with so much less to go on.  All we usually find are church archives that tell of birth, marriage and death.  Reflecting on these ancestors makes me think what a blessing (and a curse) social media can be for future generations to understand their ancestors.  Wouldn’t it be something to discover a great-great grandmother’s diary, or a 7^th great grandfather’s sea log? 

I know for most people these kinds of things don’t seem to mean much to them but since I was a little girl I have always wanted to know more about my family, perhaps because I didn’t have any relatives that lived in this country.  Over Christmas my siblings all turned to me and said “we should be writing down all Mom’s memories”.  That was a figurative “we” of course, they meant I should write down Mom’s memories.

So Mom and I are sitting down to start recording stories that will grow dim unless we document them now.  The first thing Mom says “wouldn’t it be interesting if we could look down on them, into the past, to see what they were doing?”  Which made me wonder if some day we won’t have the technology to capture the past through space travel.  Now wouldn’t that be something?  Wouldn’t you like to see how your grandparents interacted and lived in the 17^th century?  I think it would be just awesome to actually watch them but then, the next you will want to do is talk to them, right?  Slippery slope, my friends, slippery slope!

 

A Page Turner of a Book

On January first I began my year of bible reading with the guide assuring me that I can do this in one year.  Let me tell you that there is some very racy stuff in this book and the danger is that I will leap ahead of the daily requirement!

It’s not that I haven’t read Genesis before and my thoughts this time are very much the same as they were the first time I read when Abraham tells the Canaanites “take her, she’s my sister, not my wife”.  What a cowardly shit, is what I thought.  Who the hell does that to his wife?  Then his son Isaac does the same thing with his wife, like father like son.  Shitheads, both of them, is what I thought.

Oh, did I say that out loud?  Never mind Abraham and Isaac, I thought God was a shithead too when he told Abraham to go out and sacrifice Isaac.  What kind of god does something like that?   I remember thinking that when I was a little kid and we learned that story in our bible class at school.  What?  I thought.  That is just wrong.

When I studied with the Jehovah’s Witnesses they tried to tell me that there was a meaning behind it all but my stubborn mind looks at bible reading this way; this is a narrative and you cannot cherry pick what is a story, what is an allegory and what has a deeper meaning.  The story is the story and when God tells Abraham to go out and kill Isaac that is a test too great for any god to put on a man.  I don’t like it, not at all.

Furthermore, over and over again God tells the various patriachs that he is going to give them all these lands and yet they go roving around in “foreign lands” for hundreds upon hundreds of years.  What kind of shit is that?

I’ll tell you what kind of shit it is; the kind of shit that is still going on in the Middle East.  I do not like this type of mentality where everything is just a leetle bit off kilter.  I’m a straight thinking girl and I do not like this kind of sharp dealing.  There is a very sharp contrast between the thinking in the Old Testament and that of the New . . . and I am not even finished with Genesis yet!

Winter Blues

We are getting into the nitty gritty of winter and it is little wonder that folks get into the winter blues.  We seldom get out into the sunshine because it is cold, it’s slippery and unless you are a winter sports fan there isn’t a whole lot to do outdoors.  Worst still, we start to come down with the sniffles, with flu like symptoms and then there are the aches and pains caused by old age, or simply by not moving enough.  It becomes a vicious circle of the blues.

How to beat the blues?  Well, a few things include pushing yourself to workout indoors and better yet pushing yourself to go for a walk outdoors so you get the added benefit of sunshine.  As well, drink plenty of orange juice to get your Vitamin C, drink milk or eat yogurt to get your Vitamin D and calcium, not to mention the protein you need for energy.  The right nutrition and exercise really are mood boosters. 

Having outdoor tasks which force you out of doors is also something to help you move on despite your mental state and malfunctioning body.  I’ve noticed that despite my aches and pains I cannot neglect my chicks with simply doing the bare essentials.  I find myself out there several times a day just to check on them since they are currently cooped up due to the cold.  Every time I stick my head in they anxiously look at my hands to see if I have brought them a treat and I feel like a total heel if I don’t have at least a few slices of bread to give them.  Even when they are naughty they are adorable.

Pets can always bring a smile to a person’s face and no matter what type of pet you have they are almost always loyal to you.  So maybe you have a little bit of winter blues, but really, you still have a whole lot of good happening in your world.

Karl Marx Was Right

Typically one starts the new year off on a positive note but this year I am going on the warpath in a big way.  Colour me angry.

Let me begin with a comment on the Old Testament; with a god like this vengeful Jehovah and with the behavior of these so-called righteous prophets all I can say is “it explains a lot”.   In 2016 I have decided to read the Bible cover to cover in one year and the first 6 readings and I am so disgusted I wonder that anyone can handle this story telling and call it good.

Parallel with the reading we have the wonderful news from the Middle East.  No Christmas holidays is complete without turmoil in the Middle East but this year we got a nice smattering of beheadings in Saudi Arabia and Iran is screaming for “justice”.  You know what I feel?  I feel that I am so sick and tired of trying to feel the right thing, think the politically correct way and now I say “no more”.  I don’t have to study anything or know very much about any religion or culture to know that BEHEADINGS IN THE 21^ST CENTURY IS WRONG.

All this namby pamby politicking in the Middle East is just so much bullshit.  The Western world has catered to the Middle East for economic benefits and what I say is that there should be a complete and utter severing of all economic ties to all of these primitive countries until they get into the 21^st century.  The United Nations, NATO and any other organization that is supposed to be holding up democratic and civilized principles are hypocrites to not condemn in the loudest and most profound terms all this crap that is going on in all of these nations. 

Religion is one of the problems, but it is not just the various sects of Islam, it is also the various tribes that is part of the problem.  Karl Marx called religion the opium of the people, I think that Islam is the crystal meth of the Middle East.