Whew. For a minute there, I thought I had lost contact with this site forever. I'm sure my former blogger friends were sure I had completely checked out.

I have no excuse for my absence. It's been a crazy couple of years with some great stuff and some devastating stuff.

But I'm still alive. As is my big brother, Rumbles, who stopped blogging about the same time as I did.

I don't know if I can catch you all up again. Well if anyone still looks to see if I ever update here, that is.

I'll just start with a story from late last year.

Bob and I had been thinking about downsizing up north here for a couple of years. Last fall we decided we would move to a model home that would be available this coming October. Then one morning we had a long unexpected discussion and thought financially it would be better just to move permanently to Florida and travel during the summer months. We were all set, announced our decision to our family and friends. After a couple months, Bob began to backtrack.

Bob had difficulty making a final decision, but usually after two months he is set. Not so much this time. I gave him some time. Finally about February we had another long discussion about the move. He was nervous he would get too bored in the six months when the snow birds go home in Florida (Bob+boredom= major problems). I told him that as long as he agreed to travel now without complaining, I was fine with not moving to Florida full time.

So we go back home and found the builder who insisted on the handshake deal on the model home reneged on her word to us (twice). We got home on a Monday, saw her on Wednesday, when she acted very odd and on Thursday called us and said she had sold the model.

Which was a complete blessing in disguise. The model we looked at was what we used to call a duplex, now they have all kinds of fancy names for it. For the most part I liked it, but there was no privacy, no curb appeal and a boring master bath and closet.

So off we went looking for something else.

And we found it. A cute ranch that was free standing with a lot on a pond and one we could pick out all the options ourselves.

In the meantime, I had been getting our house ready to sell. We live on a country road with an acre and 1/4. There is an amazing amount of days and weeks we have spent planting shrubs, flowers and trees. Bob and his dad installed crown moulding in the two story entry and the great room along with fluting in the doorways. About 14 years ago we gutted the kitchen and added a gorgeous sun room. We have treated this house like it was our baby.

Every room has been decorated at least twice in the 26 years we have lived here and we have loved this place where we raised Bob's two girls and watched our grandchildren run through the yard.

So, to cut it short, on our 27th anniversary, we listed out house with a great old friend on mine. She had a professional photographer come to our house. The listing went live at 11 am on 5/11. About 11:30, we got the first request for showing at 2. Fifteen minutes later the second request for 3. By the end of the day, we had 5 showings and 3 offers, two above asking price.

We signed the second offer.

We had been told the housing market was crazy, but I didn't think that would apply to our house and our part of Indy. I was wrong.

We closed on Tuesday. But we will stay in the house until an apartment is available on June 29th.

It's a crazy time. Been packing up. giving away, throwing away 26 years worth of memories. I'll share the pictures the photographer took. They were so perfect we considered not selling. LOL.

I'm going to miss this place.

But right now I'm not. I miss me.

Yeah, I started May with good intentions. But sadly as soon as we returned, we had one family drama and then tragedy after another. I thought the year my father died in 1992 was the worst year of my life was bad, but this year has left me, at this point, in complete shock.

I'll go into the other details at another time, but after 4 horrible incidents I will only detail the 5th one since it didn't begin until Friday, September 2nd.

My mom has been the strongest women I have ever known. In early August, she was still cutting her own grass which was not a small yard. She has never been sick. Sure a cold now and then, but she has never been seriously ill, ever.

May 24th she turned 84. Her mother was always sickly and she lived to be 93. I called her on her birthday, which was the day we were flying back from Italy. I felt badly missing it, but I knew my mom would understand.

On Monday, August 29th, I got a text from my brother-in-law saying Mom had been getting seriously out of breath and the week prior they had taken her to have her heart checked. The results: Normal. But by then she was becoming very very weak. So they took her to the ER. Later they said her blood sugar was in the 400's so the ER said she was diabetic. I wasn't really buying that, because except for the high blood sugar, there were no symptoms that would indicate diabetes.

I was planning on coming down Labor Day weekend on Saturday. Thursday night, my brother spent the night with her and we was worried about her. He left mid-Friday and by the time my sister checked on her later that afternoon and she could barely move.

My brother-in-law sent me a text about 3:30 saying they were taking mom to the ER again. I packed a quick suitcase and headed out for what would normally be a 2 1/2 hour drive.

Except they are expanding I-69 and there was some 8 car pile up on I37 and the normal 20 minute drive from Martinsville to Bloomington turned into a 2 hour horrible delay. I suddenly found myself in the middle of Indiana University and trying to ignore my GPS because it wanted to direct me to more delay. My nephew called me at that time and was able to guide me to a road I recognized. Probably an hour still away from Jasper, Indiana where the hospital was.

I saw my niece sitting outside the hospital waiting for me and I had a pretty good inkling she was there for a reason. I gave her a hug, she said her brother and my sister was in the ER with her and she would text her brother to come out so I could go in.

In the meantime, it didn't go unnoticed that she was walking past the ER to a more deserted hallway in the opposite direction. Then she told me the news that I realized they had received only a few minutes earlier but knew it was best to wait to tell me until I was there.

My healthy as an ox, never complaining mother had cancer. Not just A cancer, but it was in her pancreas, liver and lungs.

That was Friday, Sept 2nd. Mom passed peacefully at her own home surrounding by all her kids and my sister's daughter and son, the next Thursday, September 8th.

There are many amazing stories I could tell you about those few precious last days we had her. She was amazing and funny and accepting of her fate. One day I will get to those. She passed away six weeks almost to the hour after Bob's sweet father passed. I was there at the end for both of them. Something I will never regret.

But at this time, I am just stunned. I know everything will hit me later, I'm really good at denial, I learned that when my dad died 24 years ago.

So, for those who were wondering, I'm still around. Except I'm not me, just a shell of myself until all of this year hits me. I'm not looking forward for those days.

Until them, call your parents, your kids and everyone else you know and tell them how much you love them. Those were words my mother always said to us and we said to her. My dad waited until he was dying before he could say them.

In the meantime, I'm praying for 2017 to be better.

Peace and love to you and yours.

I'll leave you with this. She wiped away my very first tear, I wiped away her very last one. I'll go to grave remembering wiping away that tear.

I realize now, how ignorant this observation will be having visited both cities.  Up until I visited Rome some seven years ago, Chicago or LA were the biggest cities I had ever been in.

I'm sure I will be feeling quite a bit of raw emotion even though we will have started out to our trip to Venice for our 25th anniversary.

I decided (I say I because I didn't consult Bob first because I didn't want him flipping out about how many days we would be gone) decided since we would need to fly through NYC, that I would finally spend at least one night there.  I've only flown through and I was determined to see Ground Zero.

It may seem like a morbid idea to start off our trip remembering the worst event in American history, but this was our opportunity and I wanted, no I needed to see Ground Zero. I can not and will not ever forget that horrible day and the months following.

I expect we will both be a bit sick to our stomachs afterward, but the next morning we'll take a ferry ride past the Statute of Liberty and we will be fully aware of what a great country we are blessed to live in.

Then Monday night it's off to Venice where we will stay 3 nights before heading out on our cruise hitting the Greek Isles and Montengro.  I've only seen picture, but I've wanted to see them for years now.

Wish us a farewell and a Bon Voyage.

Happy Mother's Day.

Yes, I realize it's been THAT long. 

On and off I've talked about our cousins here on this nearly obsolete blog.  But they were the sons of my mom's big brother and while we have some great memories and a closeness that's unlike most cousins, we also had cousins from my mother's older sister. 

We didn't get to see to my Uncle's sons that often, they lived in Alabama and we grew up in central Indiana.  

Mom's twin (my namesake) never had any children, but her older sister had four kids and they lived in my mom's small hometown.  We spent a lot of time with them, especially in the summer when we might stay with my grandmother for a week or two at a time and enjoy the sweet summer days.

My cousins lived an easy walk from my grandmother's house and so we spent a lot of time together as kids. 

And OHHH.  The stories we can tell.

My "youngest" big brother (CnC) turned 60 yesterday.  We had a very informal party at my house and on a whim I invited my cousin Kim who lived about an hour and a half away from us.

Kim was the youngest of all of my cousins, a good four years younger than me.  But we spent so much time together as kids, that we were very close growing up.  Their household was like nothing you can imagine.  It was the craziest, most bipolar household I have ever known.  You could stay all night and you never knew when you awoke if you would be laughing hysterically at the antics my aunt, uncle and cousins would pull or be cowering in the corner if the mood in the house would suddenly change.

I cannot see a Hot Wheels Track picture without remembering how the second oldest girl in the family used those sharp plastic suckers to whip the tar out of her brother.  Once when I was still laying in the hide-a-bed when she started out after her brother.  He fell on top of me trying to avoid the cobra like strikes coming from the mouth at the end of the plastic track which then meant any whiplash that missed him, hit me. 

Don't ask me why she began beating her younger brother.  I didn't question it at the time, it was just a routine bipolar relationship that we accepted of this wonderful, scary relationship we had with the entire family.

The oldest sister had ran off in the hippy days for months.  No one knew where she was.  When she returned, she moved back in the same house.

Late one night, my cousin Kim, her brother and I were playing some game in the what they called the rec room.  My aunt and uncle were asleep on the back side of the house.  Suddenly there appeared the oldest sister.  She began to scream at us at the top of her lungs, " SHUT UP.  You're going to wake up mom and dad."  I was struck at how loud she screamed versus our laughter and could imagine that her screaming could have created such seismic activity that she probably woke up my grandmother sleeping 1/4 of a mile away. 

Her brother, never learning when to keep his mouth shut to avoid some Abu Graib torture then yelled back, "Shut up you wild eyed drug addict."

Have I reiterated how much fun it was to stay all night with this family? 

With that accusation hanging in the air, his sister then went into full ISIS mode.  I could almost swear to you today that I could see these talons grow out of her fingertips and with a shriek that had my eardrums bleeding she grabbed ahold of my cousin and literally ripped the t-shirt off of his back.  I didn't even know that was possible until I watched it.

Of course the rest of the night was a complete blur, but for some reason I think we went back to playing the game as the rage had been expended.  God was in his heaven and all was right with the world

But here's the story that I thought of yesterday when my cousin Kim arrived at my house.  (I thought I wrote a post about this once, but can't find it now)

When we would stay all night at Grandma and Grandpa's house, we would sleep on a hide-a-bed in a room just off their front room.

Kim and I were still talking late one night, laying there giggling about something silly I'm sure, when we heard a car suddenly stop out front.  Within just a few seconds, not long enough for someone to get out of that car, we heard very distinct footsteps in the kitchen of the house.  Like a man's dress shoe footstep.  We were both frozen silent.  The sounds went through the kitchen and back around and then they stopped.  Within another couple of seconds, that car out front, who had been stopping there for the entire time for no apparent reason then took off. 

Both my grandparents were still asleep.  We both laid there, eyes wide open afraid to utter a word. 

A couple months ago, Kim and I met in Alabama at my aunt's funeral.  We haven't spent but a few hours together for 30 or 40 years now.  We brought up that night.  To this day we both distinctly remember the night in crystal clear detail and we, to this day cannot come up with a logical explanation as to where those noises came from and whether the car outside had anything to do with it.  There was no sound of any door opening or closing.

It still freaks us out somewhat since we both have it burned into our memory and we have no explanation of what those sounds were.

I have more crazy stories from this crazy side of my family, but I suppose those will have to wait for another day.

This was captured a few days ago by a bicyclist in my hometown, about 30 minutes from where I live now. It's a phenomenon called Crown Flash which essentially is like lightning but in the clouds.

It's certainly cool. Warning: Strong language content.

Lookin' out my back door. 

I'm sure no one would be surprised, but man, our culture has become so self absorbed. A couple weeks ago we went to Nashville, home of the Batman Building. It's claimed the architect did not realize he was designing a building which would look as if Batman was watching over the entire city.

Well Earth, as I have known it now hitting 56 years.

We started our drive back to reality early Sunday morning, arriving at Normal Earth Monday afternoon.

We unpacked, trimmed the grass and grabbed a gallon of milk.

And here we are now, a good 48 hours back in looking out at the bright green grass and already bloomed out daffodils drop their last petals.

Yesterday morning I learned my last favorite aunt passed away at the age of 92. This same lady lost her son two years ago, when my brothers took him in and nursed him until he passed the night of Bob's spinal surgery. The same one who worried about her eldest son last year, when he lost his precious bride of 20 some years at the "not fair" age of 50. She was a gracious, gentile woman who used to watch me as a kid because she didn't birth a daughter and you could just FEEL that she had always wanted a little girl to teach her how to be a gentle woman. Unfortunately I have never been a girly girl. Aunt Nancy needed a girly girl.

But in the meantime, since we left here two days after Christmas, I can tell you we experienced life like we didn't know could exist. I finally saw Bob relax and enjoy life like never before. Even during some stressful times. About two months ago, they had to take his mother into a nursing home (I'm sure they are called something nicer now) with stage 4 dementia. We have known something was wrong for 4 or 5 years now, but getting someone help is never as easy as it seems, especially when they still have enough of their faculties to convince some unconcerned doctor.

We were relieved she was finally getting the care she needed, but we were not the ones facing the wrath of a strong woman who believed everyone was plotting against her to force her somewhere she didn't want to be. But her health and that of her husband was much better served with her being placed somewhere safer.

And then tomorrow I'll head south with a handful of my family to honor a lady who thankfully had her sharp wit up until yesterday morning when her health finally gave out.

I haven't quite settled in here enough to tell you that I feel like I'm home. I know the stress is back and that is never fun. And certainly not how I want to live out my final days.

I set out the bird feeders and bird bath today, weeding the landscaping and cut back the dead clematis. May is wonderful in Indiana. Yeah, I know it's a couple days away.

I'm counting the days until we drive back to the Un-Reality.

It really is.

About two years ago now, we decided that would be our last winter in Indiana.  We've owned property in Fort Myers, going on about 12 years now.  And we were always renting during the winter season to Snow Birds (as they are called down in SW Florida).  Those people who escape winter's worst months to warmer climates.

Some might remember, we were facing Bob's upcoming spinal surgery to remove the tumor that was destroying his gait and his calf and left him, as he says, "a half-assed man".



So last year we actually did it.  We were delayed to January 4th and we bugged out of Indy as Chuck Lofton was predicting blizzard like conditions.  We scooted on down to Valdosta, stopping for the night, carried my orchids into the hotel because even that far south was experiencing colder than normal temps.

As we made our way to the Florida state line that next morning, we noticed the sun shining bright and the temps increasing rapidly.  About an hour into our morning drive, we rolled down the windows and breathed a big sigh of relief.

It took a bit of adjustment.  The coach home we have owned since 2007 is in a great community.  We had not yet met many people other than a few of our neighbors.  January last year was pretty cold, even in SW Florida.  So the windows were kept closed and we didn't venture out to the pool or the beach.

Then February came and with it brought outdoor temps. 

And then we got to know nearly all of our neighbors. 

That's when life changed. 

I have always lived what some people think is the country.  It's not actually, but people who live in communities where the houses are packed together believe it is.   We own about an acre and a half.  Across the street, they have the pleasure of mowing about 5 acres.  So we wave to our neighbors and maybe once every two weeks go out to dinner with friends.  It's nice, we enjoy it.  But that is about all of the socializing we do.

And then we became Snow Birds. 



Even with the slow start last year, by February and March, we would be sitting at home and up would walk one of our neighbors asking if we would like to come over for dinner, or go out to a restaurant.  It was such a change from our routine in Indiana. 

And we loved it.  We had planned to stay until the end of March, but delayed our return to mid-April.  Our first morning back in Indiana came with snow whipping around our house.  I did not feel welcomed.

We were able to leave in late December this winter.  When we got here, many of our buddies we had made last season were still up north for Christmas.  It didn't take long to settle in our "retired" feeling routine.

For those few who read here and at my brother's place, you already know he is spending the winter down here as well.  For years, while I was working, he and Bob would come down for 2 to 3 weeks in January before our renters would arrive.  When he arrived last year, we went to visit my mother's cousin (who calls me "once removed" but calls my sister his cousin, how does that work?).  He was volunteering at a state park in exchange for parking his RV free of charge for the winter.  That led Mark to his nomadic lifestyle he is now thrilled to be living.

For these 15 or so weeks out of the year, it feels absolutely free.  Gone are the early alarm clocks buzzing us awake at 5 o'dark.  Gone are the pain in the ass bosses who delight in making everyone miserable.  It feels like we are finally enjoying what we have worked so very hard for.

It will always remind me that Bob is now knocking on the door of 67.  Which draws me back to my father's retirement back in 1991 when Bob and I were first married.  He retired in June at the age of 59.  In August he was diagnosed with liver cancer and by the end of January, just a few dozen days past his Christmas birthday, he passed away as we held his hands and feet.  How very little time he had to enjoy his freedom. 

Wait.  This was meant to be a feel-good post

But life is short.   And we need to make sure we live each day as if it will be our last.  And we fail at that so often.

But right now, life is just so good.  It was warm today in the later afternoon.  Next thing I know, Bob had talked with Mark and they had their fishing poles and bought their fresh water fishing license and were heading to the park located directly behind our complex.  I joined them for a little while, but when the fishing looked like it was going to be a series of Mark catching stick fish, I walked back to our coach home.




Then Bob sent me this picture.  


We are still trying to figure out what kind of fish it was. 

I figure if they are going to be catching that big of fish practically in our own backyard, I need to buy a filet knife.  Nothing better than fresh caught fish.

I haven't bought my fishing license yet.  But believe me, I would rather fish than anything else down here.  Especially deep sea fishing. 

But that's another license and another story for another day.

A continuing He Said She Said Series with a twist.  Our "brother from another mother" from the internet is joining us for this edition.  Welcome Ed from Not of This World. (This guy below is not Ed)




I guess I must first address all of the negative hype going around concerning the movie, "American Sniper".  I had heard those Hollywood idiots which I will not even name because they are not worthy in being mentioned in a post regarding a true American hero.  I'm always amazed at the Hollywood pansies who sit at home with their $60 million dollars and think what they have to say actually matters to anyone but themselves.  Armchair warriors/pacifist are allowed to spew their vile because they are cocooned in their safe little world because of people like Chris Kyle. 

Enough about them.  They aren't worth the blinking cursor time..

We decided we wanted to see American Sniper, but honestly, I was a bit concerned about Bob going with me.  Starting Christmas Eve every year, he is haunted by the memories of Christmas Eve 1969.  Each year the memory seems to become more vivid.  I have heard some theories that many of the Nam guys who has spent their lives productively are finding retirement brings with it full blown PTSD.  You see, they have kept busy, deliberately so.  Now that there is time to sit back and relax, many can't because their minds drift to the worse part of their lives.

Originally I had asked my brother, CnC to join me since he too has come to Fort Myers for the winter.  You'll find those stories at his place.  I began hearing about the huge crowds, so I decided to book the tickets early through Fandango.  When I told Bob, he said he wanted to go.  I've learned I have to let make those decisions.

We met Mark at the Imax Theater.  Several of my friends had already seen the movie and raved about it.  I felt like I might be at the top of a big roller coaster.

During the previews of other movies, all of which were filled with violence, weapons, bombs, etc.  Mark leaned over and said, "Amazing how Hollywood despises guns, huh?" 

For those critics who thought it horrible that Kyle and his buddies called the terrorists savages and evil, it takes only the first scene to understand why their descriptions are on point.  When a mother sees nothing wrong with handing their 5 year old kid an RPG to take out American soldiers, then savage and evil are mild compared to what I want to call them.

Bradley Cooper was simply amazing as Kyle.  His preparation in the physical and mental roles was extensive.  He gained 40 pounds in just 10 weeks for the role, all muscle.  In one scene, Cooper deadlifts 400 lbs.  They originally wanted to create fake weights, but Cooper refused.  Kyle's father and wife have all said that Cooper did an amazing job creating Kyle's walk and mannerisms. 

This was the third movie I've watched featuring the amazing job these SEALs do.  The last thirty minutes of Zero Dark Thirty had me on the edge of my seat as did Lone Survivor.  I read Lone Survivor which went into a great bit of detail regarding the training of the SEALs.  I am constantly amazed they could endure that type of physical and mental training.  

What was most striking about the movie was the ending scenes.  Everyone (except two clueless idiots) just sat and watched.  That was when the tears started in great waves.  I had thought to being plenty of Kleenex.  I had several in my hand when I noticed some face wiping to my left, where CnC was sitting.  I kept my eyes on the screen, grabbed a few more Kleenex and quietly handed them over.

When the credits started rolling the entire theater stood quietly and no one spoke.  No one.  Everyone proceeded to the exits and there was only very quiet whispers, as if we were leaving a church after a funeral.  Sober and somber.  It felt respectful.  As if we were giving Kyle the honor he deserved.

I am optimistic that the movie is doing so well.  Knowing that it matters not what some pampered ass celebrity says about the movie or the man.  It shows that Americans really do believe the SEALs are the good guys.  Maybe some are again getting convinced that America is exceptional, in spite of the last five years of the political leaders attempts at convincing us otherwise. 



God rest your soul Chris Kyle. 

To see what my "brothers" had to say, read CnC's version here and my internet brother's version here.

 

 

If Alphonso would teach the protestors this dance, we might that not have these race issues in Missouri. 

It was around the time of Columbine when we noticed the neighbor's teenage son began wearing the goth attire. When he and his friends would hang out in the driveway sporting their long black coats and dark pants, I wondered how one could see their sons expressing themselves by donning the same clothing of Klebold and Harris and not take some type of action.

I remember being especially freaked out one day when I came home to find that the boy and three of his friends were sitting on top of their garage roof. Now obviously I might have been a little too sensitive because of the recent events. And in fact, the boy never caused a bit of trouble in the neighborhood.

Within a few months, the goth fad had faded and nothing horrible happened at the local school.

By the time the boy had graduated, he had turned into a very polite young man who then joined the service.

It was a stark contrast to see the young man come home on leave in his distinguished uniform. I vowed not to be so judgmental when kids go through phases although truthfully I probably haven't changed enough.

Since we live "in the country" according to some, we do not regularly visit with our neighbors, mainly seeing them as they mow their lawns or wave as we pass them going to the mailbox and exchanging Christmas cards once a year.

It wasn't long before we heard that the boy was going to be deployed to Iraq. I remember seeing him in the backyard shortly before his deployment playing with their dog. He was no longer a boy, of course, instead he was a fit young man and I wondered what he might face in his future.

After Iraq, he was deployed to Afghanistan. There had been some neighborhood rumors that he was given some top secret assignments possibly involving assassinations but I still don't know how true those rumors were.

In the last few years, he had come home and began his life outside of military life. Other than a few brief times of seeing him and his girlfriend coming or going to his parents house next door, we knew very little of what his life has become.

A few short weeks ago, Bob noticed him taking out an infant carrier from his car when he and his girlfriend would visit his parents.

And while I fully admit we actually knew very little about his life, we were still shocked when Bob got a text from one of the other neighbors the other night that said that Jeremy had taken his own life.

Suicide is just so heartbreaking. It leaves such and ache that screams, "WHY?"

We cannot imagine what our neighbors are going through. I don't even want to imagine what they are going through.

You want to be able to ease their pain, to make it all go away for people that we really barely know. Of course we can't. About an hour ago, we carted over some food in hopes to make some small dent in their misery. It's impossible of course. Looking into the father's eyes as he thanked us for the food was like looking into the depths of hell, where nightmares seep out of your dreams and attack your very soul.

We came home and wept for their pain, knowing it will never go away for them. I wish people who were contemplating suicide could look at the eyes of their loved ones before they make that choice that can never go away.

 

Yes. Yes. I know I've been MIA for some time now. And I don't really have an excuse. 

Which I would never had believed.

Apparently he talked with Charlie Rose this week according to Real Clear Politics.

Read for yourself.

BILL MAHER: I saw Howard Dean on TV the other day and he said something along the order, he said the people in ISIS -- he said I'm about as Islamic as they are, you know, distancing the vast numbers of Islamic people around the world from them. That's just not true.

CHARLIE ROSE: It is true.

MAHER: It is not true, Charlie. There is a connecting tissue between --

ROSE: Behind every Muslim is a future member of some radical?

MAHER: Let me finish.

ROSE: I was doing that.

MAHER: There are illiberal beliefs that are held by vast numbers of Muslim people that --

ROSE: A vast number of Christians too.

MAHER: No, that's not true. Not true. Vast numbers of Christians do not believe that if you leave the Christian religion you should be killed for it. Vast numbers of Christians do not treat women as second class citizens. Vast numbers of Christians --

ROSE: I agree with that --

MAHER: -- do not believe if you draw a picture of Jesus Christ you should get killed for it. So yes, does ISIS do Khmer Rouge-like activities where they just kill people indiscriminately who aren't just like them? Yes. And would most Muslim people in the world do that or condone that? No.

ROSE: No.

MAHER: But most Muslim people in the world do condone violence just for what you think.

ROSE: How do you know that?

MAHER: They do. First of all they say it. They shout it.

ROSE: Vast majorities of Muslims say that?

MAHER: Absolutely. There was a Pew poll in Egypt done a few years ago -- 82% said, I think, stoning is the appropriate punishment for adultery. Over 80% thought death was the appropriate punishment for leaving the Muslim religion. I'm sure you know these things.

ROSE: Well I do. But I don't believe --

MAHER: So to claim that this religion is like other religions is just naive and plain wrong. It is not like other religious. The New York Times pointed out in an op-ed a couple weeks ago that in Saudi Arabia just since August 4th, they think it was, they have beheaded 19 people. Most for non-violent crimes including homosexuality.

ROSE: I know that they cut the hands off the thief.

MAHER: Right, okay, so we're upset that ISIS is beheading people which we should be upset about but Saudi Arabia does it and they're our good friends because they have oil. Okay. But they do it too. This is the center of the religion. I'm not saying -

ROSE: But they're now fighting against ISIS too. They're joining us in the fight. As is the Emirates. As is Jordan. They are all Muslim countries.

MAHER: Well, they are both fighting ISIS and they are for ISIS.

ROSE: Well, it's not the government. I mean, some of them --

MAHER: Certainly the governments.

ROSE: It's a bit like today about Qatar. The big story today in The New York Timesabout Qatar. And some guy there is supporting, who is a Muslim --

MAHER: But I mean in Mecca where infidels, non-Muslims, are not even allowed in the holy parts of the city. I mean, right there, we don't have that example in other religions. They do behead people. Now if they were beheading people in Vatican City, which is the equivalent of Mecca, don't you think there would be a bigger outcry about it? So this is the soft bigotry of low expectations with Muslim people. When they do crazy things and believe crazy things, somehow it's not talked about nearly as much.

ROSE: Would you come to the table and debate this with a moderate Muslim?

MAHER: Find one, yes. Find one.

ROSE: I promise you I'll find one.

MAHER: Find a Muslim --

ROSE: I do believe that what we see with ISIS is not representative of --

MAHER: As I said, connecting tissue.

ROSE: -- not representative of the Islamic religion. I don't think the Koran teaches them to do these kinds of things.

MAHER: Well you're wrong about that. The Koran absolutely has on every page stuff that's horrible about how the infidels should be treated. But for example again ISIS says that they should perform genital mutilation on all women 11-46. Would most Muslims agree with that? No. Or carry it out? No.

But as Ayaan Hirsi Ali points out, she says --

ROSE: I wouldn't expect for her to --

MAHER: And she would know better than --

ROSE: Exactly.

MAHER: But can we really say --

ROSE: She's been a victim.

MAHER: -- women are treated equally in the Muslim world? I mean, their testimony in court is very often counted as half. They need permission to leave the house in some places.

ROSE: But a lot of moderate Muslims would say in fact one of the things that we need to modernize is the idea of the way we treat women.

MAHER: But in this country, if you just use the wrong word about women, they go nuts. And all these other countries --

ROSE: As they should.

MAHER: -- they're doing things like making them wear burqas and I hear liberals say things like, 'they want to.' They want to. They've been brainwashed. It's like saying a street walker wants to do that.

Come let it wash over me like the hot steaming lava from a volcano. 

I flipped the channel over to ID (formally Court TV) just a few minutes ago and when the show mentioned something about mangroves a memory of our first trip to Cancun came rushing back. 

 

 

I was pretty adamant about it.