a conversation with god

It's not very often you meet someone who has had a conversation with god. Well, I have; twice.

The first time I was thirteen, and was quite chuffed that I was chosen  to  have a conversation with the big one.  This really nice guy came and picked me up, and drove me to a place (not allowed to say where).  God was really nice to me,  said: "call me  Amor".  She was about forty something, dressed casually.  

Is that Italian?   I ventured.

It's just convenient, she replied. She told me she spoke every language on this planet, including the oldest - Koori.  And a few that haven't come into being yet.

I was a bit too shy to ask many questions then; this time it was different. Another thing I can't disclose is how I was contacted.

This time I drove myself to an industrial area in Sydney, parked in a smelly loading dock. I was apprehensive.

This can't be right I thought, as I pressed the button.  The door opened automatically, and I was just stunned.  It was a wilderness inside, and smelt wonderful.

Hello sweetie!

It wasn't Amor.  This person was totally androgynous.  God shook my hand.

Follow me, Alexx.

I followed her down a short path into the wilderness, and we came to a clearing where there were two armchairs and a coffee able and a very plush Greek rug, of the sixties era.

Call me Gene, she said softly.

Oh I get it, Gene is a bisexual name I guess, like Alex.

This is a wonderful space. I love it.

Thankyou.

The cute guy came in (remember him) and brought us two long tall glasses of a drink.  He had changed into a silk top and a sarong, barefoot.

Thanks Sean.  This is a herb juice,  And it's not from this planet. Gene smiled at my surprise.  I took a sip.

It's certainly out of this world.

Gene burst into laughter.  I made god laugh!  Wow! I thought.

So you want to know why another meeting, and why you.

Yes.  Gene had read my mind, not surprising, I thought.

You interested us - a background in Christian Science, and now a follower of Eckhart Tolle.

Us?  Surely not the royal plural I thought.

We work in committees, and reach decisions by consensus.

OK, you are god, who are the others?

All part of the universal consciousness.  We sometimes take on physical forms, for times like this for example.

We have five levels of operation. This is level five, where we interact directly with individuals, from Earth, and many other planets.

Oh?  More advanced than us?

Yes.  They don't have wars, or poverty, or greed... I could go on.

I understand. So I guess you need to spend more time with us?

Not really, we don't work in temporal or spacial constraints.

Oh.

The other levels?

Gene kicked off her Birkenstocks, and I noticed her pants were slightly  flared.  How cool I thought.

You don't need to know, except that on level one we take direct action.  For instance like we did with Hillary & Tenzig.

And Darfur, Iraq?

Gene became serious.

We do have level five operates working, and level one in some instances, but the pervading consciousness makes it difficult for us to be effective.  Religion is one of the major problems we face.

So the Bible?  

A tissue of lies, from the virgin birth to the crucifixion.  Miracles don't happen. 

So Jesus?

Well he had a mission. Water into wine was allowed, but nothing else.  He got restless and went to India (as you do).  He got enlightenment through the Buddha, though he was pretty cluey to begin with.  He was our son, but in no other way than what you or anyone else is.  He ended up in Nepal.  We have no idea who was crucified.

We became silent for a while.

So where is Amor?

Oh she wanted to see you, but she got called away on an urgent mission.  Out of this world.

Gene smiled.

So much I wanted to know....

So death?

Earth is close to creating life, when they do they might understand  the meaning of death.  The body dies, but not the spirit. I am a testament to that.

But you are god.

So are you, sweetie.  There is only one reality. Only one existence.  Whether you know it or not, you will eventually have the same status as me.

We are all god.

Right.

We were silent for a long while.

Hitler?

Working on level three.  Often when people die on planet earth, they undergo a spectacular epiphany.

Cool.

Suffering?

There are many causes for suffering.  It is not beyond the ability of planet earth to overcome these difficulties.

So god won't help?

Individually we do, ( level one) but we generally don't claim or are given credit for it.  Things like spontaneous remission.

So you do perform 'miracles'.

No. When you understand the reality of existence, you will not see these as miracles.

More food for thought.  Still I wanted to know more.

Those not on committees, what do they do?

The possibilities are endless.  

Some take on research programmes and travel the universe. Usually in spirit form.

No need for money? 

Like they  say you can't take it with  you. We have no need for worldly things.

Did you live on Earth?

No

I'm still not clear on why you chose me.

Maybe just because we like you.  A writer is always good value.

Thank you Gene,  you have been most generous with your time.  My trusty band of blog readers will find this interesting I'm sure.

Sean came in on cue, and helped me to my feet.  Gene gave me a hug.

It's been a pleasure meeting an Earthling like you.

Sean walked me to my car.   

Have you been to India?

Oh yeah, long time ago.  Met the Buddha. He told me we are all Buddhas. Now I know we are all god. There really isn't anything else.

He gave me a gentle kiss.

I drove home, in heaven.

David Hicks's Statement

THIS is the full text of David Hicks's statement upon his release from Adelaide's Yatala jail. The statement was read to media by his lawyer, David McLeod.

"Thank you for coming out on a Saturday and during the holiday period.

 
"I know you all hoped I might appear and answer some questions. 

"I had hoped to be able to speak to the media but I am just not strong enough at the moment - it's as simple as that. 

"I am sorry for that. 

"As part of my conditions of release from Guantanamo Bay, I agreed not to speak to the media on a range of issues before March 30, 2008. 

"It's my intention to honour this agreement as I don't want to do anything that might result in my return there. 

"So for now, I will limit what I have to say - I will say more at a later time. 

"I would ask the media and the public understand and respect this. 

"I do however want to take this opportunity to say some overdue thank yous. 

"First and foremost, I would like to recognise the huge debt of gratitude that I owe the Australian public for getting me home. I will not forget, or let you down. 

"Next, I would like to thank my family and friends who have been so supportive of me. Words cannot adequately express the level of my feelings for them. I love them very much. 

"Also my team of lawyers: Major Dan Mori, Josh Dratel, Michael Griffin, Steve Kenny and David McLeod, as well as their legal teams in Adelaide, Sydney, Washington and London. Much of their work was carried out pro-bono and they know I owe my freedom to their efforts. 

"I also thank the legal profession within Australia, including the Law Council of Australia and the state Law Societies, and those abroad, who strove to uphold the ideal of a free trial for an Australian citizen. 

"Many thanks go to the Fair Go For David campaigners and organisations such as Amnesty International, GetUp, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Dick Smith, church groups including the Catholic Church, and various anti-torture and human rights groups. 

"The Red Cross played an important role by trying to improve conditions and improve conditions and the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their efforts. 

"There are certain politicians I would also like to particularly mention and thank: Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Danna Vale, Sandra Kanck, Senator Bob Brown, Senator Kerry Nettle, Mark Parnell, Senator Linda Kirk, Nicola Roxon, Bob Debus, Rob Hull, Frances Bedford, Kris Hanna and many others who preferred to work behind the scenes. 

"A huge thank you also to the members of the media who wrote about and increased public awareness of my detention and treatment over the years. Without you, the court of public opinion would not have been as informed or influential. 

"There are many other groups, both large and small, and individuals involved in the campaign for my return to Australia, and to them I offer them my heartfelt thanks. 

"This list is in no particular order and to anyone that I haven't mentioned, I am very sorry. I hope to thank all of you personally at a later date. 

"Right now I am looking forward to some quiet time with my wonderful Dad, my family and friends. 

"I ask that you respect my privacy as I will need time to readjust to society and to obtain medical care for the consequences of five and a half years at Guantanamo Bay. 

"I have been told that my readjustment will be a slow process and should involve a gentle transition away from the media spotlight. 

"Thank you for respecting my privacy and allowing me some breathing space to get on with my life." 

Love Is....

Love is searching centennial park for a wedding site

Love is watching a full moon rise over Clovelly Beach

Love is a fitting at Thredz, and a lunch at Mash

Love is picking you up  outside Permanence

Love is coffee at the Lesbian cafe in Clovelly

Love is lying in bed listening to the waves crash

Love is a honeymoon to Brisy and back

Love is your Paulaomelette 

Love is you loving me loving you loving me

Love is Now 

Mamdouh Habib and the old Cronies

Moving the Cronies Along

By Warren Reed

Was Mamdouh Habib rendered to Egypt out of spite because he refused to cooperate with ASIO? 

The Rudd Government must review Australia’s intelligence agencies as a matter of priority, writes former ASIS officer Warren Reed. 

Mamdouh Habib is not everybody's cup of tea.If you work in intelligence he's the sort of person who can drive you potty, popping up in the wrong place at the wrong time and arousing suspicions. But he is an Australian citizen and deserves the full protection that entails. And, as ever, no one's guilt should be presumed. If it is, and mistakes are made, then they need to be accounted for. If they're not, and the system rolls on uncleansed, its next victim might be you .

It is in this context that we should be concerned about the disturbing claims that Habib has long made, let alone about the evidence recently given in the defamation case he is currently fighting against News Limited columnist Piers Akerman.His assertion is that ASIO agents tried twice to recruit him to help find a former Australian soldier who had allegedly joined al-Qaeda in the months before the September 11 attacks in 2001. An infantryman who had served in East Timor, the soldier had been discharged on psychological grounds. 

Habib claims the first approach was made by an agent (whether or not actually from ASIO is yet to be revealed) when Habib stopped over in the United Arab Emirates on his way to Pakistan and Afghanistan.It must be said that there was nothing wrong with Australian intelligence attempting to recruit Habib for this purpose. Far from it, in fact that's their job. The immediate reaction of most Australians would be to help where they could.For whatever reason Habib refused, possibly because of pressure put on him to cooperate. Later, in Pakistan, Habib claims he was waylaid by ASIO again, with the support of local officials. He again refused to cooperate. It seems that he managed to photograph the Australian officer involved and after his release wanted to take that evidence to the Al Jazeera TV network's representative in Kabul. He travelled to the Afghan capital with a Saudi contact in Pakistan and duly met with Al Jazeera. His Saudi friend then put him up in a guesthouse in Kabul where he made the acquaintance of David Hicks and Jack Thomas. 

Before long, he claims he had to leave because he was suspected of being a spy. He left Afghanistan and was arrested on a bus while travelling from Quetta to Lahore in Pakistan.It was from there that he was 'rendered' to Egypt, where there is little doubt that he was tortured over an extended period at an interrogation centre in Cairo. It is now clear that the Australian authorities knew where he was and what was happening to him.Habib claims that his removal to Egypt was at the behest of ASIO. This is a serious charge and one that goes to the essence of citizenship in our democratic State, especially to the central precept that no one is above the law, and certainly not below it. However Habib's actions may or may not have contributed to his predicament, he should never have been rendered to Egypt.

We need to know exactly what happened and why and who should take responsibility. It's not simply a matter of blame. We must stop it happening again.Twenty-two years ago, as Station Commander for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) in Cairo - a deep cover intelligence operation within the Australian Embassy - my cover and that of my assistant were wilfully blown by senior Department of Foreign Affairs officials. To this day they have conveniently escaped both investigation and prosecution. For a while my colleague and I feared we might land in the same interrogation centre that Habib ended up in. 

Allied intelligence operatives also under cover in Egypt had warned us that if caught, we would be suspected of working for the CIA, if not also for Mossad, and could be tortured without hesitation.Ironically, it is not difficult for us to identify with Habib's plight. Even now, I recall the caution of a senior allied operative in Cairo that the master torturers at the centre were all Iraqis, the most exquisite practitioners of those ancient Middle Eastern arts. It doesn't help you sleep at night.Was Mamdouh Habib rendered to Egypt out of spite because he refused to cooperate? The question itself is horrendous, but it has to be answered.

 If we have any care for the health and viability of our democracy we should demand no less.Recent bungles by some of our key agencies have sullied the reputation of Australia's intelligence community. The performance of management has done little to allay the fear of many Australians that tight controls and systems of accountability are not in place. What people see in public are agency chiefs unable to take it on the chin and admit mistakes. As a result, public trust is diminished.But that's only half of the story. The other is the betrayal of the trust that the overwhelming majority of men and women who staff the agencies and who suffer in silence, need to have in their management. It's becoming increasingly difficult for them to function effectively without it.

From New Matilda article by Warren Reed