http://rory.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Rory M. en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:17:35 GMT 2010-01-06T16:17:35Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977942691 Silent snow weight makes trees bow low in submission to the old man's blow   You can listen to the rhythm of the falling rain hear its gentle pitter patter but when old man winter rages . . . Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:34:18 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977942691 Rory M. 2009-12-11T16:34:18Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977771381 There is an infection in the US body politic and in the psyche of the nation itself. It is an insidious infection, one that seems impervious to reason or logic , one that eschews facts or . . . Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:26:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977771381 Rory M. 2009-08-12T22:26:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977758731 As the United States once again suffers through the throws of a new round of debate over health care reform, the opponents of reform are resorting to their time honoured tactic of scaring the public . . . Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:27:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977758731 Rory M. 2009-08-01T05:27:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977743614 I remember it well: the launch; the journey; the anticipation; the impromptu coining of the term "Tranquility Base" ; the most famous flubbed opening line in history; the first step of what my 10 year . . . Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:25:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977743614 Rory M. 2009-07-20T17:25:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977741117 There is a conviction in the Western world, particularly in America , that capitalism and democracy are almost one and the same thing, or at least complimentary to one another. The corollary to that . . . Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:09:05 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977741117 Rory M. 2009-07-18T01:09:05Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723388 Michael Jackson and I were about the same age, he being a few months older than I am.  Since I was a young child I have been hearing about Michael Jackson, about his impressive musical career, his . . . Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:14:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723388 Rory M. 2009-06-28T04:14:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723369 night sky . . . hovering islands of vapour illuminated by reflected solar energy fragmented constellations winking in and out between the floating celestial topography the amateur sky-gazer . . . Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:45:15 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723369 Rory M. 2009-06-28T03:45:15Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723367 Evil in a grey, pin-striped three-piece stepped out of a long, black limo shook hands with the crowd and kissed a few babies whose skin burned at the touch of his lips   He mouthed a . . . Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:41:17 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723367 Rory M. 2009-06-28T03:41:17Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977710440 There were 3 good arguments that Jesus was Black: 1. He called everyone brother 2. He liked Gospel 3. He didn't get a fair trial   But then there were 3 equally good arguments that . . . Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:50:55 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977710440 Rory M. 2009-06-13T23:50:55Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977701665 If you could talk to a flamingo, What would you say? What nice pink plumage, my friend How lovely and gay.   If you could talk to a tiger What would you say? Love your striped pyjamas . . . Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:19:01 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977701665 Rory M. 2009-06-04T20:19:01Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977682096 (With acknowledgement to William Blake, who wrote the original) Tiger, tiger, dying light in the forest, out of sight what mortal hand and eye dares decide that you must die   In . . . Thu, 14 May 2009 02:58:03 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977682096 Rory M. 2009-05-14T02:58:03Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977676951 Well, it certainly is no wonder that the Republicans lost the last election so thoroughly.  No wonder that Barack Obama is soaring in popularity across the nation.   No wonder that no one . . . Fri, 08 May 2009 04:37:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977676951 Rory M. 2009-05-08T04:37:11Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977661324 As a Canadian member of the Gather community I have always been free with my comments and the expression of my opinions on matters pertaining to American politics.  I do this for several reasons, . . . Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:26:07 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977661324 Rory M. 2009-04-20T23:26:07Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977661144 In recent years the phenomenon of what is commonly referred to as "Reality TV" has taken over a good deal of the broadcasting schedule for the major television networks in the USA, with bleed . . . Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:40:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977661144 Rory M. 2009-04-20T17:40:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977652576 Canadian political scandals rarely receive much ink or airtime from the American media.  I'm sure the reaction of most Americans to any inquiry as to the "Mulroney-Schreiber Affair" . . . Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:25:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977652576 Rory M. 2009-04-11T00:25:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977649262 My Mood Tag Survey - Below is My Mood Tag Survey about me and the FIVE friends I have tagged to fill it out next! Return to healthyliving.gather.com to start your own survey! . . . Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:32:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977649262 Rory M. 2009-04-07T16:32:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977647260 Amongst people of Irish descent, most of whom are fair of skin and light or red of hair, there is a distinct sup-group with darker hair and complexion, almost swarthy, sometimes referred to as the Black . . . Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:12:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977647260 Rory M. 2009-04-05T19:12:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977607039 Dictionary.com defines socialism as follows: 1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of . . . Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:58:49 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977607039 Rory M. 2009-02-26T00:58:49Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977600986 I am a white male and so, obviously, I don't have any first hand experience with or knowledge of what it means to be black. However, having been a child during the civil rights struggle of the . . . Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:52:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977600986 Rory M. 2009-02-20T16:52:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977591869 I remember my father saying that a man does his best work in his 40s. I guess I'm fucked, then. If my best work is behind me then there are a lot of things I would have liked to accomplish that . . . Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:11:10 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977591869 Rory M. 2009-02-12T03:11:10Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977569289 Being a Canadian I have, like many of my countrymen, grown used to looking south to our great friend and ally with a mixture of admiration, fear, hope and judgement . America is the most powerful . . . Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:20:04 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977569289 Rory M. 2009-01-20T20:20:04Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977566555 The sun beat down relentlessly on the cracked blacktop of the parking lot of the run down shopping mall. Shimmering waves of heat rising off the asphalt made anything more than fifty feet away seem to . . . Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:27:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977566555 Rory M. 2009-01-18T05:27:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977536454 We have a weird attitude towards death in our culture. It seems as though we reject death as though it were something strange, something unusual, even something unnatural. And yet, death is the most . . . Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:26:03 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977536454 Rory M. 2008-12-16T00:26:03Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977508083 Freedom ain't free.   It's kind of a slogan, isn't it.   You might see it on a bumper sticker, perhaps on the back of a beat up Ford F150 beside a "Support Our Troops" . . . Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:41:56 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977508083 Rory M. 2008-11-16T06:41:56Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977504437 There is a lot of evil in the world. However, this does not mean that evil is an active force, as most seem to believe it to be. Of course, many believe in a personifcation of evil alternately . . . Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:27:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977504437 Rory M. 2008-11-12T04:27:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977498268 The election of 2008 has already gone a long, long way to restoring the dream and the amazing reality of the United States of America.  It has done this in numerous ways.    Race Relations: . . . Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:24:45 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977498268 Rory M. 2008-11-05T07:24:45Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977471046 Gather began as a social networking site that seemed to be deliberately welcoming of writers and those who wish to discuss life and the issues that matter in it in a thoughtful, deliberate and intelligent . . . Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:29:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977471046 Rory M. 2008-10-08T00:29:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977453986 With the crisis in the financial markets of recent months and especially the past week, and the back-of-cocktail-napkin policy writing on the fly, there is a very big change coming to the way Americans . . . Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:00:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977453986 Rory M. 2008-09-20T06:00:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977443036 The American Heritage Dictionary defines a redneck as follows: A slang term, usually for a rural white southerner who is politically conservative, racist, and a religious fundamentalist. This . . . Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:33:52 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977443036 Rory M. 2008-09-08T05:33:52Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977355355 The Baha'i Faith began in 1863 when the founder, who took the name of Baha'u'llah ( the Glory of God ) when he announced his ministry, declared himself the latest in a long series of prophets . . . Wed, 28 May 2008 05:09:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977355355 Rory M. 2008-05-28T05:09:46Z