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Does it surprise anyone that the woman in the video below rushes to the defense of He Who Would Not Wear A Flag Pin?

Barack Obama blinks in Hillary face-off

by Michael Goodwin

Russia rolls over Georgia, Hillary Clinton does the same to Barack Obama. Now we know who's boss.

The Clintons Are Here to Stay

By Toby Harnden

Get used to it. They are not going away. Anyone who thought that Barack Obama had sent Hillary Clinton back to the Senate to atone for her campaign's sins or banished her husband, baying at the moon, into the wilderness was deluded.

Yes, She Can

By MAUREEN DOWD

While Obama was spending three hours watching “The Dark Knight” five time zones away, and going to a fund-raiser featuring “Aloha attire” and Hawaiian pupus, Hillary was busy planning her convention.

The most politically potent emotion of the past 18 months has been Obamamania...The big question now hanging over American politics is whether Obamamania is giving way to Obama fatigue.

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Who are we fooling here?  Are they desperately trying to make themselves believe this?  Surely they must realize that those of us outside the cult aren't buying this

In today's Washington Post, Peter Beinart writes:

Barack Obama has a problem. He really, really doesn't want this
campaign to be about race. He wants it to be about change, President
Bush, the economy, gas prices, Iraq, Afghanistan -- almost anything
else. But it is going to be about race, at least in part. That's the
lesson of recent weeks, when the McCain campaign brought up race (on
the pretext that Obama had brought it up first). The Obama campaign
tried desperately to change the subject but couldn't. Once the chum was
in the water, the media sharks went wild.

Obama should take that as a warning. Race will be central to this
campaign because McCain needs it to be. He simply doesn't have many
other cards to play.

Where to start?

Obama made this campaign about race long before McCain clinched the GOP nomination, and the evidence is well-documented on this blog.

Furthermore, McCain has built a long-term career in the U.S. Senate.  Whether one agrees with it or not, John McCain has a record.  He is certainly not the candidate who has no "other cards to play."  That dubious honor goes to the very-junior Senator of less than one-term from the State of Illinois.

You know, the one with little to no experience.

The one who sat in Jeremiah Wright's race-baiting church for 20 years.

The Anointed One who played the race card over and over and over again against Hillary Clinton in the primaries.

The One who has his supporters convinced he doesn't want to make this campaign about race.

“Ulf told us the other night that the blind middle-aged Danish devotee Henning was told by Baba in an interview that he could cure his blindness, but then Henning would have to be blind in the next life! AS DEFERRED KARMA” (from my Indian visit diary notebook, Sunday 1st November, 1998 )

Ulf was Ulf Sviberg, then a very active office-bearer in the Swedish Organization who wore a large white stone set in a gold ring - called a diamond by Sai Baba and everyone else there. But there can be no doubt that it is another of the typical cheap synthetic ‘gemstone’ Sathya Sai Baba gives away which nearly all close devotees insist are diamonds!

I sometimes sat near to a male Danish follower called Henning on the chairs at darshan. He was desperate to be cured of his very long-term blindness and who visited many healers and diverse other avatar claimants in the hope of success. He remained blind, however. So the presumptuous Full Avatar Sathya Sai Baba could not actually cure his blindness (though devotees will say he ‘would not for karmic reasons’ so as to protect their blind faith in this frequent maker of false promises of healing and protection).

Uncured blindness at Puttaparthi

[caption id="attachment_997" align="alignright" width="268" caption="V.K. Narasimhan with one eye blind"][/caption]

There are many cases of blindness Sathya Sai Baba has not cured, and V.K. Narasimhan told me he had never come across a single genuine case of cure in 20 years following every event at the ashram. I also knew a blind Frenchman who I often assisted who was also sorely disappointed after long stays at the ashrams. When I sat beside him he wanted a running commentary on whether Sai Baba looked at him or not. I did not clearly see Sai Baba do so,

Further, I knew a totally blind Indian man in his 40s or so who lived permanently in Puttaparthi who sat on the chairs for invalids every day. I had conversations with him and visited him where he had rooms in Puttaparthi village. He told me that he believed his own brother was planning to murder him, because Sathya Sai Baba had told him that and said it was best for him to leave home and everything behind him permanently, which he had done - poor soul. He had been there for years and had to ask anyone he could manage to get into conversation with for help of one kind or another, while his blindness was still the same despite endless prayers to Sathya Sai Baba.

Sathya Sai Baba could not even cure the blindness in one eye of his own indispensable editor of his journal Sanathana Sarathi, V.K. Narasimhan, despite personally applying vibuti to it when it became infected (See here)! and/or See my notes at the time here

Posted in Cults, Faith, Sathya Sai Baba, healing | Edit | No Comments »

"There were several unique features to our most recent trip to Sai Baba's Puttaparthi, India ashram (number 31, but who's counting?)".

Comment: Who's counting? Evidently Connie Shaw is! Thirty one wasteful holiday flights from and back to the USA is one thing, but it confirms that Connie Shaw is a total true blind believer, as the entire account also shows. However, what is most interesting is Sai Baba's failed prediction of global peace and the Golden Age from 2007: Referring to herself in the third person, Connie Shaw wrote:-

"Connie asked Baba in the rear room, "Swami, NO JOKING NOW...
how much longer will the war last? Really, NO JOKING!"

Baba: Really, no joking (He made some invisible writing in the air) ...
five years more. In 2007 there will be no more war. Peace on earth."

Connie: Five more years?! Then really, truly the war will be over?"

Baba: Yes, you will see.

Connie: Then what about the Golden Age (of Peace and Plenty which
will last for a thousand years) - when will that actually be here?

Baba (Predictably, heh-heh): The Golden Age must begin in each
person's heart. Then only can we have peace on earth. Each must
start now to make the Golden Age in his heart.

Connie: But Swami, we're all doing the best we can in that
(department) now. I mean when will (all of) humanity agree "This is
the Golden Age - here, now...?

Baba: In five years. 2007. By then. All must do (their part)."-

Comment: If you believe in Sathya Sai Baba as an omniscient Godhead who knows every detail of past, present and future - as he often has claimed - then you may have some small problem with the above account, now that 2008 is here and war continues in Afghanistan and now also in Russia's horrific invasion of Georgia in response to it's attack on separatists in part of its sovereign territory, namely South Ossetia.

One may also point to several major civil wars, such as in Dafur, Indonesia and diverse smaller warring conflicts in African states.

As to the Golden Age and transformation of human consciousness etc. it has been heralded for decades by Sathya Sai Baba but, when failing to occur, has repeatedly been promised for a new and later date. Rita and Robert Bruce were told by him about practically instant transformation of people's consciousness after his 80th anniversary But that anniversary was celebrated in 2006! Now we have outright war between nations and still major conflicts displacing millions within nations. What kind of transformation is that?

I was unaware until this week that I possess a lisp and am a "satanic hack" and a "racist punk."

[...]

Democrats are so desperate for a return to power and so disbelieving that Obama is not crushing McCain that anything other than deification is treated as blasphemy. Hence, the liberal bloggers assume I am a right-wing mouthpiece -- cue the laugh track, locals -- and continue to affix unmentionable monikers while Obamaites react as Maria Cardona did on "Hannity and Colmes," seemingly astonished that I would dare to interrupt Obama when I didn't think he was giving a straight answer. If Obama can't handle lil ol' me by now, my dear Democrats, I wonder how he would fare with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

More...

H/T:  Purple People Vote and NoQuarter USA

It is interesting to see what the average Sathya Sai devotee believes, hopes and wants... this can be seen in postings on numerous web groups. Here are some examples which give a reasonable reflection of the thinking of Sai Baba devotees:-

Srinivas
It is near about 5 years from now I started worshiping Baba. I always feel his presence within myself. Whenever I call him from help, he is ever alert to help me. I have completed my MCA in 2002 but still now; I am struggling to get a job in Software Company. Baba has helped me in every matter but in case of job break, I am not able to get his blessings. I have younger sister who is studying her graduation final year she is also staunch devotee of Sai Baba as my parents. We are trying to find alliance for her but till now nothing has been done. My father is a private employee with one year service left so within this one year we have arrange alliance for my sister and I have settle my life with good job so that I can serve my parents who are every thing for me. Even I am without job for past 2.5 years they still support me. So, I pray Baba to shower his blessings on my parents and family members so that our problems get solved. Baba has always helped the devotees who were in need of help and I am sure that is surely going to shower his blessing on my family members and me.

Comment: One can always hope... but many have been disappointed. Why a devotee sees the need to post his pitiful prayers like this is perplexing. Now for another example:-

Savita
Dear Sai baba, I really do not know how I should write my innermost feelings, my state of mind. You know everything Baba, nothing is hidden from you. All the time I am praying to you for my daughter's happiness. For me it has taken a lot of courage to send my prayers via this column. It seems you are guiding me to share my faith in you with everyone and as if this is how you are going to listen to my prayers and strengthen my faith in you. Baba we all come to you, ask you one thing or the other. Sometimes it is for us, sometimes for our parents, for siblings and all the time for our children. Whenever I read devotees prayers, I say to myself, "of course Sai listens to everyone's plea and being the merciful He will shower His blessings to everyone". Baba you have bestowed your grace on me and my family at every step of our lives and I have faith, you will listen to my daily prayers and help us to fulfill our duties. I have seen your greatest miracle, when we visited three years ago and you saved us from a terrible car-accident. So may be you are teaching me to have patience before you answer my prayers for my daughter. Baba I lay my head at your lotus feet and accept whatever you have in store. Baba always be with us and forgive me for everything I have done wrong intentionally or unintentionally.

Comment: Why expend so much courage on posting the above? The poor soul's belief that Baba has bestowed his grace on him and his family "at every step of their lives" is gross and just shows how everything is a matter of what one wants to believe, not what actually happens. One can certainly doubt that Sathya Sai Baba saved them from a terrible car accident... it is only because one believes in Sai baba that one arrives at such conclusions, for many people are constantly being lucky and avoiding accidents - but those who are not so lucky and die do not post their faith in Sathya Sai Baba, such as the US billionaire James Sinclair's wife!

Rajani
I don't know how to express my gratitude towards Sai who is there for me at all times. Whatever I am enjoying today and who the person I am now, all is because of His blessings. Today I experienced another Sai miracle. For the first time I bought myself a diamond nose ring 4 days back and in my mind I have this dilema whether I can wear a diamond or not because I heard that everybody can't wear a diamond. My day starts at 7 am dropping my husband at his work (30 min on freeway) and my son at his school bus stop and I have to reach my work at 8.45, so I am almost on my feet running in the mornings. Today morning at my son's bus stop , one of the other moms pointed that my nose ring is missing. I couldn't believe that I lost it and went home to search for it in possible places. But in my mind I know that it is highly impossible to find such a small thing. I just said to myself that Sai knows what is best for me so I made up my mind that it's gone forever and went to bathroom to wash my hands and to my surprise I found it there in the sink. I was so happy. I realised that normally I start or do new things on Thursdays but this time I wore the nose ring in the shop itself on Saturday and today I almost lost and found back on Thursday. I know this is a small material thing, but we don't know what Baba wants to teach us so I request please can anybody tell me whether I continue to wear it, what Baba wants me to do. Once again I am profoundly grateful to Baba for everything in my life.

Comment: "Whatever I am enjoying today and who the person I am now, all is because of His blessings." Really. This shows that Sathya Sai Baba is only in the mind of the person, but not there in any other way. Losing a nose ring and then finding it in the sink is nothing remarkable, but it is made into a miracle by this credulous believer. That it was Thursday is the clinching argument... such superstitious nonsense. The confusion of this person is obvious... "we don't know what Baba wants to teach us" (well, that is perhaps not so strange since he has spouted out millions of words of teachings, a vast hodge-podge of every kind of moralism possible, often self-conflicting).

-----------------------

As the biggest celebrity in the world, Barack Obama began the week with a nine-point lead in the Gallup Tracking poll.

As Barack Obama rallied in front of 200,000 fans in Berlin, John McCain talked about the issues Americans care about on the campaign trail. We made up ground and ended the week even - tied in the Gallup Tracking poll.

While you have undoubtedly seen much on television about the campaign, it has been a great week for John McCain and we hope you had a good one too. In that spirit, we wanted you to see our latest fun video. We hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend. If you like it, please forward the video to your friends and then click here to make a contribution to John McCain

JohnMcCain.com

Every day, for the past several months, I've made a habit in my morning prayers of thanking God for the emergence of Barack Obama.  Not because my hope is in Obama, but because my hope is always, unequivocally in God.

YouTube

Navigate to BarackObama.com, and you'll find this at the top of almost every page.

If Democrats are wondering why Republicans have taken to sarcastically calling Obama "The Messiah," this is a good indication. On nearly every page, we are greeted with a picture of an illuminated Obama issuing a challenge from the clouds: if you believe this special man can change Washington, rally behind him.

More...

We are finding out that Obama’s ideological leanings are – like oil in the world’s vast global markets – fungible. Just as different countries and differing economies have various needs for oil, Obama supporters need to be able to see in their candidate what they want to see. And does he ever oblige them.

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"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men," writes Paul (Colossians 2:8, NKJV). In spite of that warning from The Bible,  evangelicals can be gullible. Paul's verse appears to have fallen on deaf ears when it comes to Barack Obama.

More...

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Barack Obama at least has one thing right: the author of "The Audacity of Hope" is certainly audacious.

The junior Illinois senator has been telling us for months now: "We are the hope of the future. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." If I believed that about myself, I'd be pretty audacious. Not to mention messianic.

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Now that Barack Obama has completed his beyond much-publicized overseas trip, it's hard to argue that the trip wasn't everything his strategists hoped for.

Could the speech have been better? I'm not sure how. Could the crowds have been bigger? They were plenty big. Could the coverage have been more exhaustive? The Beatles come to America! Barack Obama goes abroad!

True, each of the three network anchors, especially Katie Couric, who got savaged on the blogs the most harshly for it, managed to actually sound like reporters asking real questions, but who was listening? (Literally, in one of the few press availabilities, even if you were listening, you could only hear Obama, since he was the only one with a microphone). People watched, and the pictures couldn't have been better.

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But, will it make any difference in terms of who is going to win this election? I'm not sure.

Continued...

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San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Morford:  “Many spiritually advanced people I know identify Obama as a Lightworker, the rare kind of attuned being who has the ability to lead us not merely to new foreign policies or health care plans or whatnot, but who can actually help usher in a new way of being on the planet, of relating and connecting and engaging with this bizarre earthly experiment. These kinds of people actually help us evolve. They are philosophers and peacemakers of a very high order, and they speak not just to reason or emotion, but to the soul.”

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