Dalai Lama~
"Our life depends on others so much that at the root of our existence is a fundamental need for love. That is why it is good to cultivate an authentic sense of responsibility and concern for the welfare of others."
29 November 2010
25 November 2010
Deep thoughts
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Thomas Edison
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.
There is no substitute for hard work.
Thomas Edison
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.
There is no substitute for hard work.
19 November 2010
15 November 2010
Deep Thought
Pray for the removal of all walls that separate any of us from any of us, not only on our earth but also in our minds.
-Marianne Williamson
-Marianne Williamson
11 November 2010
Lao Tzu on Love
Responsibility without love makes us inconsiderate
Power without love makes us cruel
Belief without love makes us fanatics
Intelligence without love makes us dishonest.
Taoist on love
After a while, you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love does not mean leaning and company does not mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses are not contracts and presents are not promises.
And you begin to accept rejection with your head up and your eyes clear, with the grace
of an adult, not the heartache of a child.
And you learn to build your life on now, because tomorrow is too uncertain.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.
Plant your own garden and decorate your soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And after a while you learn that you really have infinite worth.
- anon
God is Love
1 John 4
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
The greatest of these is love
1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
08 November 2010
20-year-old woman becomes top cop in violent Mexican municipality
cnn.com
Valles Garcia sees a non-violent role for her 13-member force, which will be mostly female and unarmed.
"The weapons we have are principles and values, which are the best weapons for prevention," she told CNN en Español. "Our work will be pure prevention. We are not going to be doing anything else other than prevention."
Valles Garcia said she aims to establish programs in neighborhoods and schools, to win back security in public spaces and to foster greater cooperation among neighbors so they can form watch committees.
Valles Garcia sees a non-violent role for her 13-member force, which will be mostly female and unarmed.
"The weapons we have are principles and values, which are the best weapons for prevention," she told CNN en Español. "Our work will be pure prevention. We are not going to be doing anything else other than prevention."
Valles Garcia said she aims to establish programs in neighborhoods and schools, to win back security in public spaces and to foster greater cooperation among neighbors so they can form watch committees.
love confusion
Buddhism teaches that a variety of attitudes may be confused as love.
One is sensual desire. Another is affection that is entangled with craving and the need for reciprocity.
The Buddha never encouraged the cultivation of such affection; in fact, he often considered it a hindrance to spiritual maturity.
However, if we abandon such affections too quickly, we may overlook situations when affection consists of a combination of craving and one of the four helpful forms of love.
One of the joys of spiritual practice is learning to distinguish unhelpful grasping and neediness from an underlying love that needs nothing beyond itself.
What should be abandoned is craving, not love. When letting go of craving is too difficult, then a person may practice developing one of the four forms of love to the point that any need to be loved naturally loses its power in the glow of love flowing from us.
The Buddha and the enlightened men and women who followed him are often depicted as motivated by love, but never as in need of being loved. Perhaps we have an innate impulse to love, while being loved is not required in order to be happy and free. Spiritual practice helps free this impulse to love so that it can become a motivating strength in our lives.
- by Gil Fronsdal
One is sensual desire. Another is affection that is entangled with craving and the need for reciprocity.
The Buddha never encouraged the cultivation of such affection; in fact, he often considered it a hindrance to spiritual maturity.
However, if we abandon such affections too quickly, we may overlook situations when affection consists of a combination of craving and one of the four helpful forms of love.
One of the joys of spiritual practice is learning to distinguish unhelpful grasping and neediness from an underlying love that needs nothing beyond itself.
What should be abandoned is craving, not love. When letting go of craving is too difficult, then a person may practice developing one of the four forms of love to the point that any need to be loved naturally loses its power in the glow of love flowing from us.
The Buddha and the enlightened men and women who followed him are often depicted as motivated by love, but never as in need of being loved. Perhaps we have an innate impulse to love, while being loved is not required in order to be happy and free. Spiritual practice helps free this impulse to love so that it can become a motivating strength in our lives.
- by Gil Fronsdal
01 November 2010
Sagittarius
Sagittarians are born adventurers. They like smashing spiders with their bare hands and trying to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night with the lights out. They would sooner sustain crippling injury than do anything the easy way. Sagittarians love to entertain their friends, family, and total strangers. This often includes transvesticism. Nearly every Sagittarian was born into the wrong gender. Sagittarians are loud and have no social graces. They seek to offend. Sagittarians usually have nicknames like Thunderpooper or Vomitus Maximus. Animals and small children love Sagittarians. This is unfortunate since adults usually hate them. However, Sagittarians make excellent circus freaks and vagrants. Sagittarians use interpretive dance to describe philosophical concepts. Buttons and bumper stickers with rude sayings on them are a trademark of the Sagittarian. They throw food at expensive restaurants and ask lots of questions in the middle of church. Don't ever bring a Sagittarius home to meet your parents. He or she will tie up your mother and pants your dad. Famous Sagittarians include the Geo Metro. The holiday during which the sun is in Sagittarius is Thanksgiving. This is highly appropriate since everyone eats until they're sick and passes out while a bunch of cross-dressers and huge inflatable things wander through the streets of New York, the most Sagittarian town in the universe. The Shriners driving around in the tiny little cars are a very Sagittarian image. Even more so if there's a ridiculously busty woman stuffed into the car as well. A Sagittarius is always a better Madonna than Madonna. Men can pull off sequins, and women can pull off construction helmets. The Sagittarius is incapable of being unhip
Theory behind Myers Briggs
Our Flow of Energy defines how we receive the essential part of our stimulation. Do we receive it from within ourselves (Introverted) or from external sources (Extraverted)? Is our dominant function focused externally or internally?
The topic of how we Take in Information deals with our preferred method of taking in and absorbing information. Do we trust our five senses (Sensing) to take in information, or do we rely on our instincts (iNtuitive)?
The third type of preference, how we prefer to Make Decisions, refers to whether we are prone to decide things based on logic and objective consideration (Thinking), or based on our personal, subjective value systems (Feeling).
These first three preferences were the basis of Jung's theory of Personalty Types. Isabel Briggs Myers developed the theory of the fourth preference, which is concerned with how we deal with the external world on a Day-to-day Basis. Are we organized and purposeful, and more comfortable with scheduled, structured environments (Judging), or are we flexible and diverse, and more comfortable with open, casual environments (Perceiving)? From a theoretical perspective, we know that if our highest Extraverted function is a Decision Making function, we prefer Judging. If our highest Extraverted function is an Information Gathering function, we prefer Perceiving.
The topic of how we Take in Information deals with our preferred method of taking in and absorbing information. Do we trust our five senses (Sensing) to take in information, or do we rely on our instincts (iNtuitive)?
The third type of preference, how we prefer to Make Decisions, refers to whether we are prone to decide things based on logic and objective consideration (Thinking), or based on our personal, subjective value systems (Feeling).
These first three preferences were the basis of Jung's theory of Personalty Types. Isabel Briggs Myers developed the theory of the fourth preference, which is concerned with how we deal with the external world on a Day-to-day Basis. Are we organized and purposeful, and more comfortable with scheduled, structured environments (Judging), or are we flexible and diverse, and more comfortable with open, casual environments (Perceiving)? From a theoretical perspective, we know that if our highest Extraverted function is a Decision Making function, we prefer Judging. If our highest Extraverted function is an Information Gathering function, we prefer Perceiving.
INTP
Portrait of an INTP - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving
(Introverted Thinking with Extraverted Intuition)
The Thinker
As an INTP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.
INTPs live in the world of theoretical possibilities. They see everything in terms of how it could be improved, or what it could be turned into. They live primarily inside their own minds, having the ability to analyze difficult problems, identify patterns, and come up with logical explanations. They seek clarity in everything, and are therefore driven to build knowledge. They are the "absent-minded professors", who highly value intelligence and the ability to apply logic to theories to find solutions. They typically are so strongly driven to turn problems into logical explanations, that they live much of their lives within their own heads, and may not place as much importance or value on the external world. Their natural drive to turn theories into concrete understanding may turn into a feeling of personal responsibility to solve theoretical problems, and help society move towards a higher understanding.
INTPs value knowledge above all else. Their minds are constantly working to generate new theories, or to prove or disprove existing theories. They approach problems and theories with enthusiasm and skepticism, ignoring existing rules and opinions and defining their own approach to the resolution. They seek patterns and logical explanations for anything that interests them. They're usually extremely bright, and able to be objectively critical in their analysis. They love new ideas, and become very excited over abstractions and theories. They love to discuss these concepts with others. They may seem "dreamy" and distant to others, because they spend a lot of time inside their minds musing over theories. They hate to work on routine things - they would much prefer to build complex theoretical solutions, and leave the implementation of the system to others. They are intensely interested in theory, and will put forth tremendous amounts of time and energy into finding a solution to a problem with has piqued their interest.
INTPs do not like to lead or control people. They're very tolerant and flexible in most situations, unless one of their firmly held beliefs has been violated or challenged, in which case they may take a very rigid stance. The INTP is likely to be very shy when it comes to meeting new people. On the other hand, the INTP is very self-confident and gregarious around people they know well, or when discussing theories which they fully understand.
The INTP has no understanding or value for decisions made on the basis of personal subjectivity or feelings. They strive constantly to achieve logical conclusions to problems, and don't understand the importance or relevance of applying subjective emotional considerations to decisions. For this reason, INTPs are usually not in-tune with how people are feeling, and are not naturally well-equiped to meet the emotional needs of others.
The INTP may have a problem with self-aggrandizement and social rebellion, which will interfere with their creative potential. Since their Feeling side is their least developed trait, the INTP may have difficulty giving the warmth and support that is sometimes necessary in intimate relationships. If the INTP doesn't realize the value of attending to other people's feelings, he or she may become overly critical and sarcastic with others. If the INTP is not able to find a place for themself which supports the use of their strongest abilities, they may become generally negative and cynical. If the INTP has not developed their Sensing side sufficiently, they may become unaware of their environment, and exhibit weakness in performing maintenance-type tasks, such as bill-paying and dressing appropriately.
For the INTP, it is extremely important that ideas and facts are expressed correctly and succinctly. They are likely to express themselves in what they believe to be absolute truths. Sometimes, their well thought-out understanding of an idea is not easily understandable by others, but the INTP is not naturally likely to tailor the truth so as to explain it in an understandable way to others. The INTP may be prone to abandoning a project once they have figured it out, moving on to the next thing. It's important that the INTP place importance on expressing their developed theories in understandable ways. In the end, an amazing discovery means nothing if you are the only person who understands it.
The INTP is usually very independent, unconventional, and original. They are not likely to place much value on traditional goals such as popularity and security. They usually have complex characters, and may tend to be restless and temperamental. They are strongly ingenious, and have unconventional thought patterns which allows them to analyze ideas in new ways. Consequently, a lot of scientific breakthroughs in the world have been made by the INTP.
The INTP is at his best when he can work on his theories independently. When given an environment which supports his creative genius and possible eccentricity, the INTP can accomplish truly remarkable things. These are the pioneers of new thoughts in our society.
Jungian functional preference ordering:
Dominant: Introverted Thinking
Auxiliary: Extraverted Intuition
Tertiary: Introverted Sensing
Inferior: Extraverted Feeling
(Introverted Thinking with Extraverted Intuition)
The Thinker
As an INTP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.
INTPs live in the world of theoretical possibilities. They see everything in terms of how it could be improved, or what it could be turned into. They live primarily inside their own minds, having the ability to analyze difficult problems, identify patterns, and come up with logical explanations. They seek clarity in everything, and are therefore driven to build knowledge. They are the "absent-minded professors", who highly value intelligence and the ability to apply logic to theories to find solutions. They typically are so strongly driven to turn problems into logical explanations, that they live much of their lives within their own heads, and may not place as much importance or value on the external world. Their natural drive to turn theories into concrete understanding may turn into a feeling of personal responsibility to solve theoretical problems, and help society move towards a higher understanding.
INTPs value knowledge above all else. Their minds are constantly working to generate new theories, or to prove or disprove existing theories. They approach problems and theories with enthusiasm and skepticism, ignoring existing rules and opinions and defining their own approach to the resolution. They seek patterns and logical explanations for anything that interests them. They're usually extremely bright, and able to be objectively critical in their analysis. They love new ideas, and become very excited over abstractions and theories. They love to discuss these concepts with others. They may seem "dreamy" and distant to others, because they spend a lot of time inside their minds musing over theories. They hate to work on routine things - they would much prefer to build complex theoretical solutions, and leave the implementation of the system to others. They are intensely interested in theory, and will put forth tremendous amounts of time and energy into finding a solution to a problem with has piqued their interest.
INTPs do not like to lead or control people. They're very tolerant and flexible in most situations, unless one of their firmly held beliefs has been violated or challenged, in which case they may take a very rigid stance. The INTP is likely to be very shy when it comes to meeting new people. On the other hand, the INTP is very self-confident and gregarious around people they know well, or when discussing theories which they fully understand.
The INTP has no understanding or value for decisions made on the basis of personal subjectivity or feelings. They strive constantly to achieve logical conclusions to problems, and don't understand the importance or relevance of applying subjective emotional considerations to decisions. For this reason, INTPs are usually not in-tune with how people are feeling, and are not naturally well-equiped to meet the emotional needs of others.
The INTP may have a problem with self-aggrandizement and social rebellion, which will interfere with their creative potential. Since their Feeling side is their least developed trait, the INTP may have difficulty giving the warmth and support that is sometimes necessary in intimate relationships. If the INTP doesn't realize the value of attending to other people's feelings, he or she may become overly critical and sarcastic with others. If the INTP is not able to find a place for themself which supports the use of their strongest abilities, they may become generally negative and cynical. If the INTP has not developed their Sensing side sufficiently, they may become unaware of their environment, and exhibit weakness in performing maintenance-type tasks, such as bill-paying and dressing appropriately.
For the INTP, it is extremely important that ideas and facts are expressed correctly and succinctly. They are likely to express themselves in what they believe to be absolute truths. Sometimes, their well thought-out understanding of an idea is not easily understandable by others, but the INTP is not naturally likely to tailor the truth so as to explain it in an understandable way to others. The INTP may be prone to abandoning a project once they have figured it out, moving on to the next thing. It's important that the INTP place importance on expressing their developed theories in understandable ways. In the end, an amazing discovery means nothing if you are the only person who understands it.
The INTP is usually very independent, unconventional, and original. They are not likely to place much value on traditional goals such as popularity and security. They usually have complex characters, and may tend to be restless and temperamental. They are strongly ingenious, and have unconventional thought patterns which allows them to analyze ideas in new ways. Consequently, a lot of scientific breakthroughs in the world have been made by the INTP.
The INTP is at his best when he can work on his theories independently. When given an environment which supports his creative genius and possible eccentricity, the INTP can accomplish truly remarkable things. These are the pioneers of new thoughts in our society.
Jungian functional preference ordering:
Dominant: Introverted Thinking
Auxiliary: Extraverted Intuition
Tertiary: Introverted Sensing
Inferior: Extraverted Feeling
Gemini
Everyone loves a Gemini because everyone loves a schizophrenic. You like to think that you are a half-and half mixture of Socrates and Michelangelo, but in reality it's more like Prince and Bea Arthur. You are progressive, outgoing, and one of the most popular rides at Cedar Point. However, you can and will negate all of this by the time you're finished reading this sentence. Geminis drive funny cars. They often drive them into trees or buildings. Geminis are pushy and overbearing. They pick fights with small children and moon people at weddings. They like to use Libras as punching bags. A bisexual Gemini is a walking double date. The rest are hermaphrodites. Geminis vandalize their own houses. Geminis use far-fetched analogies to describe philosophical concepts. Geminis rarely compete in the Olympics. When they do, it is usually pool or air hockey. Frogger turns up as well. Geminis are always on some sort of medication. This medication is not always legal. Gemini is Latin for "I'm okay, I'm okay." Geminis speak very loudly in order to be heard. This is unfortunate as they are nearly always talking to themselves. In fact, they often pick animated arguments with themselves in the bathtub. The most famous Gemini in history is Orville and Wilbur Wright. Geminis are frequently ambidextrous, which means that they can pick both sides of their noses at the same time. The Gemini is essentially nothing more than a paranoid Aquarius.
26 October 2010
15 October 2010
Blog on Racism
Racism is caused by two basic factors, neither of which has much to do with race at the root.
website
website
07 October 2010
Deep thought
"It is the function of the Navy to carry the war to the enemy, so that it will not be fought on U.S. soil."
[Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz]
[Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz]
05 October 2010
Recipe for cheating
Lack of communication
Need for attention
Need not being met
Sense of abandonment or neglect
Stress
Need for attention
Need not being met
Sense of abandonment or neglect
Stress
Deep Thought
"We trained very hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn in this life that we tend to meet any situation by reorganizing. And a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization."
[Frequently attributed to
Petronius Arbiter circa 60 A.D.]
(Probably of much more recent origin.)
Deep Thought
"The reason that the American Navy does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the Americans practice chaos on a daily basis."
[Attributed to Admiral Karl Doenitz,
of the German Kriegsmarine]
Deep Thought
"We are outnumbered; there is only one thing to do. We must attack!"
[Admiral Andrew Cunningham]
(Before attacking the Italian fleet
at Taranto, November 1940)
Deep Thought
"What, Sir? You would make a ship sail against the wind and tides by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you excuse me. I have no time to listen to such nonsense."
[Napoleon Bonaparte]
(On hearing Robert Fulton's
plans to build a steamboat.)
Deep Thought
"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way."
[Captain John Paul Jones]
Deep Thought
"It's extremely difficult to second guess the American Navy, because the Americans rarely read their doctrine, and don’t feel compelled to follow it when they do."
[Attributed to Admiral of the
Soviet Fleet, Sergei Gorshkov]
Deep Thought
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
[Sun Tzu]
Deep Thought
Don't talk to me about Naval tradition! It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash.
-Winston Churchill
-Winston Churchill
Deep Thought
"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company.
[Samuel Johnson]
Deep Thoughts
"For in this modern world, the instruments of warfare are not solely for waging war. Far more importantly, they are the means for controlling peace. Naval officers must therefore understand not only how to fight a war, but how to use the tremendous power which they operate to sustain a world of liberty and justice, without unleashing the powerful instruments of destruction and chaos that they have at their command."
Admiral Arleigh Burke, CNO, 1 August 1961, Change of command address at Annapolis, MD
[Arleigh Burke, Speeches, Box 1, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center]
21 September 2010
The Prophet: Love
Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.
And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
-Kahlil Gibran
20 September 2010
Sins of Sodom
Ezekiel
" 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
" 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
Sacred Text on the Poor
“You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Luke 18:21-23 (in Context) Luke 18
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Luke 14:12-14 (in Context) Luke 14
Proverbs 22
1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The LORD is the Maker of them all.
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.
8 Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.
9 The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.
16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Saying 2
22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the LORD will take up their case
and will exact life for life.
Saying 4
26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.
Proverbs 28
3 A ruler[a] who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.
8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor
amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22 The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
25 The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the LORD will prosper.
27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Proverbs 28
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Proverbs 29
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 19
A poor man is shunned by all his relatives— how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.
Proverbs 19
Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him.
Proverbs 19
A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.
Proverbs 18:22-24 (in Context) Proverbs 18
A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.
Proverbs 13:22-24 (in Context) Proverbs 13
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-10 (in Context) Proverbs 31 (Whole Chapter)
Isaiah 10
1 Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
2 to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.
3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,
when disaster comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your riches?
4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives
or fall among the slain.
"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Isaiah 41:16-18 (in Context) Isaiah 41
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 1:16-18 (in Context) Isaiah 1
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’
Zechariah 7:9-11 (in Context) Zechariah 7
Luke 18:21-23 (in Context) Luke 18
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Luke 14:12-14 (in Context) Luke 14
Proverbs 22
1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The LORD is the Maker of them all.
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.
8 Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.
9 The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.
16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Saying 2
22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the LORD will take up their case
and will exact life for life.
Saying 4
26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.
Proverbs 28
3 A ruler[a] who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.
8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor
amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22 The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
25 The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the LORD will prosper.
27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Proverbs 28
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Proverbs 29
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 19
A poor man is shunned by all his relatives— how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.
Proverbs 19
Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him.
Proverbs 19
A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.
Proverbs 18:22-24 (in Context) Proverbs 18
A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.
Proverbs 13:22-24 (in Context) Proverbs 13
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-10 (in Context) Proverbs 31 (Whole Chapter)
Isaiah 10
1 Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
2 to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.
3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,
when disaster comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your riches?
4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives
or fall among the slain.
"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Isaiah 41:16-18 (in Context) Isaiah 41
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 1:16-18 (in Context) Isaiah 1
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’
Zechariah 7:9-11 (in Context) Zechariah 7
14 September 2010
Is love enough?
Love is sufficient unto itself
Love doesn't need to be in a relationship
Whatever one's definition: exclusivity, loyalty, commitment, to act on one's desires, to possess,
Love doesn't need love in return. It is a boundless fountain. The more you give, the more you are given.
Being in love doesn't mean you have to be in a relationship.
love doesn't even need to be friends
Love is enough, love is more than enough.
Love can manifest itself in many different ways. We assume it always has to lead to a relationship and sometimes that's not the best path for love.
We are the ones that put limits on love.
Maybe the question is in error. Because love is.
It's what you do with that love and how you manifest that love.
Love has no conditions. Wants nothing. It's beyond ethics. Does it really care what your heart desires?
Love doesn't care if you're friends or married. If you see each other everyday or have never met in person.
You have to acknowledge it and ask what you want to do with it.
Will that manifestation be accepted? Is it appropriate? Is it mutual. Does it have to be?
All different types of ways to interact with a person and love doesn't care.
How do you want your love to manifest? And love doesn't care.
It's important to be aware of what you want in return because, again, love wants nothing.
know the difference between speaking on love's behalf and speaking for yourself.
I have needs, certain wants, goals, plans. Then to realize that I am fickle and those wants will change.
In the end, maybe, we'll learn to ask what love wants from us.
Love doesn't need to be in a relationship
Whatever one's definition: exclusivity, loyalty, commitment, to act on one's desires, to possess,
Love doesn't need love in return. It is a boundless fountain. The more you give, the more you are given.
Being in love doesn't mean you have to be in a relationship.
love doesn't even need to be friends
Love is enough, love is more than enough.
Love can manifest itself in many different ways. We assume it always has to lead to a relationship and sometimes that's not the best path for love.
We are the ones that put limits on love.
Maybe the question is in error. Because love is.
It's what you do with that love and how you manifest that love.
Love has no conditions. Wants nothing. It's beyond ethics. Does it really care what your heart desires?
Love doesn't care if you're friends or married. If you see each other everyday or have never met in person.
You have to acknowledge it and ask what you want to do with it.
Will that manifestation be accepted? Is it appropriate? Is it mutual. Does it have to be?
All different types of ways to interact with a person and love doesn't care.
How do you want your love to manifest? And love doesn't care.
It's important to be aware of what you want in return because, again, love wants nothing.
know the difference between speaking on love's behalf and speaking for yourself.
I have needs, certain wants, goals, plans. Then to realize that I am fickle and those wants will change.
In the end, maybe, we'll learn to ask what love wants from us.
03 September 2010
healing
Just discovered that walls built up to protect actually hinder the healing that needs to take place.
Realize that you're wounded and you need healing more than protection.
If you're already wounded then you need healing, it's too late for protection.
A wall is like a pain killer but the pain always comes back. The only way to stop the pain for good is to heal the wound
To heal a wound you often need to expose it. Let it air out.
This love has exposed something within me
Something I need to stop ignoring
I'm learning so much and it is a bit painful
I realize that i don't even know what the tears are really for
Is my heart aching for more
Is my heart rejoicing in the love that I've found
Is it a release of all the toxins in my heart
Is it confusion or frustration
So much can be going on
Maybe all at once
But to realize that maybe it's all coming from the inside out
I need to let go
Realize that my need to control myself is misguided
Asking myself if I really love myself
Putting all this theory into action
Seeing what I'm really made of
That I speak of non-attachment but
What logic really controls my heart
To know that I'm Worthy of love is different than actually believing it.
Realize that you're wounded and you need healing more than protection.
If you're already wounded then you need healing, it's too late for protection.
A wall is like a pain killer but the pain always comes back. The only way to stop the pain for good is to heal the wound
To heal a wound you often need to expose it. Let it air out.
This love has exposed something within me
Something I need to stop ignoring
I'm learning so much and it is a bit painful
I realize that i don't even know what the tears are really for
Is my heart aching for more
Is my heart rejoicing in the love that I've found
Is it a release of all the toxins in my heart
Is it confusion or frustration
So much can be going on
Maybe all at once
But to realize that maybe it's all coming from the inside out
I need to let go
Realize that my need to control myself is misguided
Asking myself if I really love myself
Putting all this theory into action
Seeing what I'm really made of
That I speak of non-attachment but
What logic really controls my heart
To know that I'm Worthy of love is different than actually believing it.
Love expectations
A good question is how can you love without expecting something from the one you love?
I can boast about having no expectations but am I being honest with myself?
I can be real and say that I'm going to get what god is going to give me. As long as I'm open to it.
It might not be what I want and it's probably a lot healthier than what I want.
Even though I don't really know what I want.
I want it to never end. I want to know that you'll always be there when I need you.
So I said that I have no expectations and what I really mean is that I have no realistic expectations or that my expectations are unfair.
But what am I left with?
In the back of my mind there this voice asking. And I have to keep telling it no.
I'm not as enlightened as I'd like to think
Affection, attachment, devotion,
Not the same as love.
Distinguishing love from craving is hard. Loving without wanting in return is difficult.
Loving without expectations.
Can you honestly say you are in a relationship without having expectations?
I don't feel I have the right to any expectations. To ask for anything. Moreso I'm afraid to.
I can boast about having no expectations but am I being honest with myself?
I can be real and say that I'm going to get what god is going to give me. As long as I'm open to it.
It might not be what I want and it's probably a lot healthier than what I want.
Even though I don't really know what I want.
I want it to never end. I want to know that you'll always be there when I need you.
So I said that I have no expectations and what I really mean is that I have no realistic expectations or that my expectations are unfair.
But what am I left with?
In the back of my mind there this voice asking. And I have to keep telling it no.
I'm not as enlightened as I'd like to think
Affection, attachment, devotion,
Not the same as love.
Distinguishing love from craving is hard. Loving without wanting in return is difficult.
Loving without expectations.
Can you honestly say you are in a relationship without having expectations?
I don't feel I have the right to any expectations. To ask for anything. Moreso I'm afraid to.
30 August 2010
Deep thought
"The wave must realize that its reality, as a mere wave, is temporary. It may appear again and again as other waves, but in the end it has to realize that its reality lies not in its separateness as a wave, but in the ocean of which the wave is a manifestation. Realization of its true identity demands merging into the ocean and becoming one with it."
-Paramhansa Yogananda
-Paramhansa Yogananda
26 August 2010
Deep Thought
No tendency is quite so strong in human nature as the desire to lay down rules of conduct for other people.
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
don't care what love wants
I want to love you
I want to be with you
I want to support you
I want to experience the world with you
I want to make you happy
I want to share in your happiness
I want to grieve with you
I Want to cheer you up
I want to learn from you
I don't want to cry for no reason
I don't want to feel insecure
I don't want to always wonder when it will end
I don't want to wonder if you really want me
I don't want to feel like a fool
I don't want to feel fear when I think of you
I don't want to feel like my love is in vain
I don't want to need assurance that you still want to be with me
I realize I'm in over my head
I don't want to control you or this relationship
I just want to feel like I have some control over myself
I want to be happy and feel supported
I want to be loved
I want to be with you
I want to support you
I want to experience the world with you
I want to make you happy
I want to share in your happiness
I want to grieve with you
I Want to cheer you up
I want to learn from you
I don't want to cry for no reason
I don't want to feel insecure
I don't want to always wonder when it will end
I don't want to wonder if you really want me
I don't want to feel like a fool
I don't want to feel fear when I think of you
I don't want to feel like my love is in vain
I don't want to need assurance that you still want to be with me
I realize I'm in over my head
I don't want to control you or this relationship
I just want to feel like I have some control over myself
I want to be happy and feel supported
I want to be loved
25 August 2010
Deep Thought
“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right”
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
26 July 2010
Deep Thought
You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him
-James D. Miles
-James D. Miles
18 July 2010
05 July 2010
Ya Take the Good, Ya Take the Bad
When it's good. Acknowledge it. Enjoy it. Cherish it.
When it's bad. Acknowledge it. Learn from it. Make it better.
Though sometimes better doesn't look the way you want it to look.
Sometimes your version of better makes it more difficult.
Sometimes better hurts for the moment.
Then it gets better.
When it's bad. Acknowledge it. Learn from it. Make it better.
Though sometimes better doesn't look the way you want it to look.
Sometimes your version of better makes it more difficult.
Sometimes better hurts for the moment.
Then it gets better.
Was Buddha in love?
So I've tried love the Buddha way. It kinda works with family and friends and strangers on the street. Doesn't work when you're in love. The whole non-attachment thing is a complete contradiction.
He was right. Life is suffering. Full of suffering that we bring on ourselves because of our attachments. We can end the suffering by getting rid of our attachments. Then there's the eightfold path to ending that suffering.
I've noticed the eightfold path says nothing about being in love.
Maybe I haven't looked hard enough. But I'd assume it asks you to never fall in love. Because that's the only feasible way to stay clear of attachment.
It all sounds so logical (even though it's not); but what about love?
What about that other person who is that craving and attachment. What about the wave that crashes over you that you can't stop. You can't run from. You can't be dispassionate. No matter how hard you try.
So, I don't think Buddha was ever in love.
He was right. Life is suffering. Full of suffering that we bring on ourselves because of our attachments. We can end the suffering by getting rid of our attachments. Then there's the eightfold path to ending that suffering.
I've noticed the eightfold path says nothing about being in love.
Maybe I haven't looked hard enough. But I'd assume it asks you to never fall in love. Because that's the only feasible way to stay clear of attachment.
It all sounds so logical (even though it's not); but what about love?
What about that other person who is that craving and attachment. What about the wave that crashes over you that you can't stop. You can't run from. You can't be dispassionate. No matter how hard you try.
So, I don't think Buddha was ever in love.
27 June 2010
24 June 2010
Resist
Stupid iPhone 4. I leave in a month or so. Why does it have to come out now? It's probably going to be sold out by the time I can grab one.
My upgrade is in November. I get back in February.
To get it now, I have to pay an extra 200 bucks no matter how I shake it. Then I can't use it when I leave.
This sucks
My upgrade is in November. I get back in February.
To get it now, I have to pay an extra 200 bucks no matter how I shake it. Then I can't use it when I leave.
This sucks
21 June 2010
20 June 2010
Deep Thought
Marianne Williamson
If you're looking at the world and not grieving, then you're not conscious. But if you're looking at the world and not rejoicing in the miraculous possibilities for healing it, then you're spiritually immature.
Deep Thought
Marianne Williamson
Whenever you have a problem, pray: "Dear God, I am willing to see this situation differently. Amen."
Deep Thought
Marianne Williamson
Watch where you put your faith. Do you have more faith In the power of your disasters, or in the power of God to transform them?
Deep Thought
Maya Angelou
I deal very little in facts, facts can obscure the truth, you can tell so many facts you never get to the truth, you can tell the places where, the people who, the times when, the reasons why, and never get to the human truth which is love and pain and loss and triumph.
Deep Thought
Albert Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"
Deep Thought
A smart person learns from their mistakes
A wise person learns from the mistakes of others.
19 June 2010
Protection from capitalism
Capitalism needs a mechanism that protects workers and consumers. Something besides the government.
The consumer needs things like:
Consumer groups
Media keeping public informed of business practices
public record
Freedom of information
Workers need things like:
Democratic unions. Unions that do not try to shut out free agents.
Democratic Corporations
Coops
Workers own at least 50% of company
The consumer needs things like:
Consumer groups
Media keeping public informed of business practices
public record
Freedom of information
Workers need things like:
Democratic unions. Unions that do not try to shut out free agents.
Democratic Corporations
Coops
Workers own at least 50% of company
A season or a lifetime
I saw a play. Someone was giving advice. Said if a person wants to leave, Let them go.
Said some people in your life are like leaves. They are only meant to be in your life for a season. But people get confused when they put lifetime expectations on people who were only supposed to teach you one thing.
Some people are branches that make you think they're strong and the minute you step out to rely on them they might break.
So find some roots. two or three. People who will always be there for you.
If you have an issue in your relationship and that person tries to fix it then keep them in your life. If they don't care, let them go.
I hope my love is a root. I'm not naive enough to hope this for everyone I meet.
I think people are naive enough to hope this for people they fall in love with (myself included).
I guess love creates those branches. Made of the same stuff as the roots. Just not growing in the same place. Not as secure. Not for the same purpose.
Accept the idea that even some good people are only there for a season. Because they are not for you. They weren't meant for you in the long term. You met them to prepare yourself for the ones you will meet in the future.
Madea
Said some people in your life are like leaves. They are only meant to be in your life for a season. But people get confused when they put lifetime expectations on people who were only supposed to teach you one thing.
Some people are branches that make you think they're strong and the minute you step out to rely on them they might break.
So find some roots. two or three. People who will always be there for you.
If you have an issue in your relationship and that person tries to fix it then keep them in your life. If they don't care, let them go.
I hope my love is a root. I'm not naive enough to hope this for everyone I meet.
I think people are naive enough to hope this for people they fall in love with (myself included).
I guess love creates those branches. Made of the same stuff as the roots. Just not growing in the same place. Not as secure. Not for the same purpose.
Accept the idea that even some good people are only there for a season. Because they are not for you. They weren't meant for you in the long term. You met them to prepare yourself for the ones you will meet in the future.
Madea
18 June 2010
17 June 2010
Deep Horoscope
A lot of people never got the mothering they needed in order to grow up into the confident, secure lovers of life they have the potential to become. But even greater numbers suffer from a lack of smart fathering. And that happens to be the deprivation that's most important for you Geminis to address right now. If there was anything missing in the guidance and mentoring you got from your actual daddy, I urge you to brainstorm about how you could make up for it in the coming months. For starters, here's one idea: Is there any father figure out there who could inspire you to become more of your own father figure?
17 June 2010
17 June 2010
10 June 2010
Deep Horoscope
If you have long conversations with the image in the mirror this week, I won't call you a megalomaniacal narcissist. Nor will I make fun of you if you paint 15 self-portraits, or google yourself obsessively, or fill an entire notebook with answers to the question "Who am I, anyway?" In my astrological opinion, this is an excellent time for you to pursue nosy explorations into the mysteries of your core identity. You have cosmic permission to think about yourself with an intensity you might normally devote to a charismatic idol you're infatuated with.
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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
At the heart of the pronoiac way of life is an apparent conundrum: You can have anything you want if you'll just ask for it in an unselfish way. The trick to making this work is to locate where your deepest ambition coincides with the greatest gift you have to give. Figure out exactly how the universe, by providing you with abundance, can improve the lot of everyone whose life you touch. Seek the fulfillment of your fondest desires in such a way that you become a fount of blessings.
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10 June 2010
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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
At the heart of the pronoiac way of life is an apparent conundrum: You can have anything you want if you'll just ask for it in an unselfish way. The trick to making this work is to locate where your deepest ambition coincides with the greatest gift you have to give. Figure out exactly how the universe, by providing you with abundance, can improve the lot of everyone whose life you touch. Seek the fulfillment of your fondest desires in such a way that you become a fount of blessings.
*
10 June 2010
09 June 2010
Geek shout out
Here's a shout out to two simple fixes to most every computer issue.
Shut it down, wait a minute, then restart it.
Uninstall screwed up program, restart computer, reinstall program.
Shut it down, wait a minute, then restart it.
Uninstall screwed up program, restart computer, reinstall program.
24 May 2010
20 May 2010
Deep Horoscope
When Paul McCartney first got the inspiration to write the song "Yesterday," he had the melody and rhythm but couldn't get a feel for what the lyrics should be. For a while, as he was waiting for the missing words to pop into his brain, he used nonsense stand-in phrases. The dummy version of the first line was "Scrambled eggs, oh my dear, you have such lovely legs." This approach could be useful for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. As you create a fresh approach or novel departure in your own life, you might want to show the patience McCartney did. Be willing to keep moving ahead even though you don't have the full revelation quite yet.
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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
You're a star -- and so am I. I'm a genius -- and so are you. Your success encourages my brilliance, and my charisma enhances your power. Your victory doesn't require my defeat, and vice versa. Those are the rules in the New World -- quite unlike the rules in the Old World, where zero-sum games are the norm, and only one of us can win each time we play.
In the New World, you don't have to tone down or apologize for your prowess, because you love it when other people shine. You exult in your own excellence without regarding it as a sign of inherent superiority. As you ripen more and more of your latent aptitude, you inspire the rest of us to claim our own idiosyncratic magnificence.
*
SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
You're a star -- and so am I. I'm a genius -- and so are you. Your success encourages my brilliance, and my charisma enhances your power. Your victory doesn't require my defeat, and vice versa. Those are the rules in the New World -- quite unlike the rules in the Old World, where zero-sum games are the norm, and only one of us can win each time we play.
In the New World, you don't have to tone down or apologize for your prowess, because you love it when other people shine. You exult in your own excellence without regarding it as a sign of inherent superiority. As you ripen more and more of your latent aptitude, you inspire the rest of us to claim our own idiosyncratic magnificence.
05 May 2010
liberty
the most important concept in American civilization. The reason The United States exists today.
How does a nation honestly secure liberty for all?
How does a nation honestly secure liberty for all?
02 May 2010
Politicians
I don't trust anyone who thinks they can effectively control someone else's life
That includes parents
But I cut them a break cause you just can't let the kids run wild
That includes parents
But I cut them a break cause you just can't let the kids run wild
29 April 2010
Deep Horoscope
Would you really prefer it if you had no problems? Do you imagine you'd enjoy life more if everything was pure fun and smoothly easy? Here's an astrological perspective: People who have an over-abundance of positive aspects in their natal horoscopes often turn out to be lucky but lazy bums who never accomplish much. So I say, be thankful for the complications that are visiting you. I bet they will make a man out of you if you're a woman, or a woman out of you if you're a man. If you're white, they'll help you get blacker, and if you're black, they'll make you whiter. Catch my drift? As you do your best to solve the knotty riddle, you'll become better balanced and more versatile than folks who are rarely challenged.
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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
If you're reading this, you're probably not a Cambodian orphan who grew up as a slave in a brothel or a Sudanese man kidnapped by a militia and forced to do heavy labor 18 hours a day or one of the millions of other victims of human trafficking around the world. But you may be yoked and subjugated in a less literal way, perhaps to a debilitating drug or an abusive relationship or a job that brings out the worst in you or a fearful fantasy about the looming collapse of civilization's infrastructure.
The good news is that you have the power to escape your bondage. Maybe it'll help you muster the strength you need if I remind you that your freedom won't be anywhere near as difficult to achieve as that of the Pakistani boy tied to a carpet loom in a dark room around the clock or the Nigerian woman who's beaten daily as she toils in the sugar cane fields for no pay.
Try this: When you feel overwhelmed by the sadness of your problems or the addiction of your compulsions, put on your best clothes and clean toilets at a homeless shelter, or give foot massages to workers at a sewage disposal plant, or sing songs, sip champagne, and play card games with patients at a psychiatric hospital. Be ready to get hit upside the soul with exotic varieties of ecstasy, which such acts will unleash.
*
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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
If you're reading this, you're probably not a Cambodian orphan who grew up as a slave in a brothel or a Sudanese man kidnapped by a militia and forced to do heavy labor 18 hours a day or one of the millions of other victims of human trafficking around the world. But you may be yoked and subjugated in a less literal way, perhaps to a debilitating drug or an abusive relationship or a job that brings out the worst in you or a fearful fantasy about the looming collapse of civilization's infrastructure.
The good news is that you have the power to escape your bondage. Maybe it'll help you muster the strength you need if I remind you that your freedom won't be anywhere near as difficult to achieve as that of the Pakistani boy tied to a carpet loom in a dark room around the clock or the Nigerian woman who's beaten daily as she toils in the sugar cane fields for no pay.
Try this: When you feel overwhelmed by the sadness of your problems or the addiction of your compulsions, put on your best clothes and clean toilets at a homeless shelter, or give foot massages to workers at a sewage disposal plant, or sing songs, sip champagne, and play card games with patients at a psychiatric hospital. Be ready to get hit upside the soul with exotic varieties of ecstasy, which such acts will unleash.
*
24 April 2010
Song of Solomon
ch 2
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
ch 3
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
ch 8
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
ch 3
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
ch 8
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
12 April 2010
Three Universal Needs
Several management theorists have identified three human universal needs. David Cooperrider believes that each person has the need to:
- Have a voice and be heard;
- Be viewed as essential to a group; and
- Be seen as unique and exceptional.
Universal needs
Connection
belonging/community/appreciation/intimacy/love/empathy/respect/support/to be seen, heard, and understood
Honesty
authenticity/integrity/trust
Peace
beauty/order/harmony/inspiration/communion
Play
humor/joy
Meaning
self-expression/discovery/growth/hope/challenge/purpose/learning/contribution/consciousness
Physical Well being
air/food/water/safety/shelter/sleep/rest/movement/exercise/sexual expression
Autonomy
choice/freedom/space/spontaneity/independence
-Unknown
belonging/community/appreciation/intimacy/love/empathy/respect/support/to be seen, heard, and understood
Honesty
authenticity/integrity/trust
Peace
beauty/order/harmony/inspiration/communion
Play
humor/joy
Meaning
self-expression/discovery/growth/hope/challenge/purpose/learning/contribution/consciousness
Physical Well being
air/food/water/safety/shelter/sleep/rest/movement/exercise/sexual expression
Autonomy
choice/freedom/space/spontaneity/independence
-Unknown
What We Are Here For
A piece on Advocacy
we are here to listen
not to work miracles
we are here to help people discover what they are feeling
not to make the feelings go away
we are here to help people identify their options
not to decide for them what they should do
we are here to discuss steps with people
not to take the step with them
we are here to help people discover their own strength
not to rescue them and leave them still vulnerable
we are here to help people discover they can help themselves
not to take responsibility for them
we are here to help people learn to choose
not to make it unnecessary for them to make difficult choices
we are here to provide support for change
-adapted from NTAC on Family Violence
we are here to listen
not to work miracles
we are here to help people discover what they are feeling
not to make the feelings go away
we are here to help people identify their options
not to decide for them what they should do
we are here to discuss steps with people
not to take the step with them
we are here to help people discover their own strength
not to rescue them and leave them still vulnerable
we are here to help people discover they can help themselves
not to take responsibility for them
we are here to help people learn to choose
not to make it unnecessary for them to make difficult choices
we are here to provide support for change
-adapted from NTAC on Family Violence
Decision Making
Take a breath, relax
Ask yourself:
Do I have enough info to make this decision?
What info am I missing?
Is this a decision I need to make right now or can I give myself some space to think it through?
Am I being rational and objective
If not: Step back, take a minute to recollect
Remember: Health and safety are top priority
We all make good and bad decisions
Take time to learn from your mistakes and be open to constructive criticism
Ask yourself:
Do I have enough info to make this decision?
What info am I missing?
Is this a decision I need to make right now or can I give myself some space to think it through?
Am I being rational and objective
If not: Step back, take a minute to recollect
Remember: Health and safety are top priority
We all make good and bad decisions
Take time to learn from your mistakes and be open to constructive criticism
Characteristics Held By Long Term Thrivers
Clear sense of why they are doing their work
Realistic goals/expectations of self and are self forgiving
Ability to let go of the illusion of control
Healthy sense of self: ability to laugh at self, knows strengths and weaknesses
Accepts others without hopes of changing them
Knows boundaries and can clearly state them, sets limits and can give an honest yes and no
Appreciates the reciprocity in the work they do
Has learned to let go and can forgive and forget. Has chronic spiritual Alzheimer
Has a sense of humor and lightness
Knows when lessons are learned or purpose is accomplished and can leave the work in a healthy manner
Knows what they need and can ask for it directly. Can graciously accept yes and no
Can detach from outcome
Respects co-workers, clients and self at very deep levels.
Heather Anderson
Realistic goals/expectations of self and are self forgiving
Ability to let go of the illusion of control
Healthy sense of self: ability to laugh at self, knows strengths and weaknesses
Accepts others without hopes of changing them
Knows boundaries and can clearly state them, sets limits and can give an honest yes and no
Appreciates the reciprocity in the work they do
Has learned to let go and can forgive and forget. Has chronic spiritual Alzheimer
Has a sense of humor and lightness
Knows when lessons are learned or purpose is accomplished and can leave the work in a healthy manner
Knows what they need and can ask for it directly. Can graciously accept yes and no
Can detach from outcome
Respects co-workers, clients and self at very deep levels.
Heather Anderson
09 April 2010
KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS
So, let's just say you're on I-5 cruising along in the left lane. You see a sign on your left that says 'KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS'. You look to your right and you're not passing anyone. Why don't you do me a favor and get over. Please.
Oh, and if you look to your right and there's a car right beside you and you're not going fast enough to pass them...you are so wrong, and you're upsetting me.
Basta!08 April 2010
06 April 2010
Deep Thought
". . . This deed accomplished, life no longer suffers hopelessly under the terrible mutilations of ubiquitous disaster, battered by time, hideous throughout space; but with its horror visible still, its cries of anguish still tumultuous, it becomes penetrated by an all-suffusing, all-sustaining love, and a knowledge of its own unconquered power."
Joseph CampbellPrivilege is still oppression
when someone is choosing who to give what to
when someone uses your baser fears to control you
when someone gives you possessions and instills a fear that they will be taken away by the 'other'
when someone uses your baser fears to control you
when someone gives you possessions and instills a fear that they will be taken away by the 'other'
Revelation
I don't have a germ phobia. It's a hatred. A deep hatred felt with every blown nose, sore throat, sniffle, frantic trip to the bathroom, body ache... I hate being sick.
Deep Thought
"The two -- the hero and his ultimate god, the seeker and the found -- are thus understood as the outside and inside of a single, self-mirrored mystery, which is identical with the mystery of the manifest world. The great deed of the supreme hero is to come to the knowledge of this unity in multiplicity and then to make it known." Joseph Campbell
26 March 2010
Rights and equal, affordable access
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
This means the government cannot stop me from doing these things.
I don't think that equal access is the same thing as a right.
Just because I have the right to free speech does not mean that others have to give me an outlet.
Meaning, I can't go to the NY Times and demand that they publish my piece due to my freedom of speech.
but I do think there are some things that everyone should have equal access to in order for the society to prosper
It's up to the society to realize this and cooperate with each other rather than be coerced into providing things.
This means the government cannot stop me from doing these things.
I don't think that equal access is the same thing as a right.
Just because I have the right to free speech does not mean that others have to give me an outlet.
Meaning, I can't go to the NY Times and demand that they publish my piece due to my freedom of speech.
but I do think there are some things that everyone should have equal access to in order for the society to prosper
It's up to the society to realize this and cooperate with each other rather than be coerced into providing things.
25 March 2010
Health Care BIll Confusion
Here's where I'm confused. Obama wants everyone to have health care.
So congress creates a bill mandating all citizens to have health care insurance. Even if they can't afford it. If they can't afford it, the govt. will subsidize it. If you don't get it you'll face a fine around $700.
Constitutional? Doesn't sound like it. How can the govt. make someone purchase something against their will?
Employers with more than 50 employees must provide health insurance or pay a fine of $2000 per worker each year if any worker receives federal subsidies to purchase health insurance.
So govt. will create a market exchange where people have to choose among unregulated private insurance companies that can and probably will charge ridiculous amounts. The only penalty is a 40% Excise tax on plans over $10,000 (individual) and $27,000 (family). Insurance companies that raise rates arbitrarily will not be allowed to sell policies in the new insurance marketplace.
So now the govt. looks like a bunch of suckers because they're going to be paying these bills by subsidising individuals and families with income between the 100 percent and 400 percent of poverty level.
Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
Congress told insurance companies that they can't deny anyone based on preexisting conditions. And they can't reject someone when they get sick.
This bill just appeases the market. Giving insurance companies more business.
The bill already Expands Medicaid to include 133 percent of federal poverty level which is $29,327 for a family of four. And Requires states to expand Medicaid to include childless adults starting in 2014.
Why didn't the govt. just open Medicaid/Medicare up to everyone who is not eligible for insurance from their employer? Or at least to everyone at 400% of the poverty level. Either way, the govt. is going to be paying for it.
So congress creates a bill mandating all citizens to have health care insurance. Even if they can't afford it. If they can't afford it, the govt. will subsidize it. If you don't get it you'll face a fine around $700.
Constitutional? Doesn't sound like it. How can the govt. make someone purchase something against their will?
Employers with more than 50 employees must provide health insurance or pay a fine of $2000 per worker each year if any worker receives federal subsidies to purchase health insurance.
So govt. will create a market exchange where people have to choose among unregulated private insurance companies that can and probably will charge ridiculous amounts. The only penalty is a 40% Excise tax on plans over $10,000 (individual) and $27,000 (family). Insurance companies that raise rates arbitrarily will not be allowed to sell policies in the new insurance marketplace.
So now the govt. looks like a bunch of suckers because they're going to be paying these bills by subsidising individuals and families with income between the 100 percent and 400 percent of poverty level.
Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
Congress told insurance companies that they can't deny anyone based on preexisting conditions. And they can't reject someone when they get sick.
This bill just appeases the market. Giving insurance companies more business.
The bill already Expands Medicaid to include 133 percent of federal poverty level which is $29,327 for a family of four. And Requires states to expand Medicaid to include childless adults starting in 2014.
Why didn't the govt. just open Medicaid/Medicare up to everyone who is not eligible for insurance from their employer? Or at least to everyone at 400% of the poverty level. Either way, the govt. is going to be paying for it.
12 March 2010
13 January 2010
Derailing for Dummies
Good site if you want to invalidate others who aren't aware that you don't care about them.
Click on the title
Click on the title
02 January 2010
Deep Thought
"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness."
— Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness)
— Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness)
01 January 2010
Eat to Live
Someone once told me that they didn't live to eat, they ate to live.
Sounds good.
Eat to sustain a healthy body composition.
I say composition instead of weight because weight is pretty relative. Despite what the charts say, Ideal body weight is different for everyone. There's a calculator that says you should weigh 115 if you're 5'3". I know that when I was 120 pounds people were worried about me, thinking I lost too much weight.
I'm not a big fan of BMI either because it still doesn't account for the ratio of fat to lean body mass.
I used to say that these were a waste of time; but now, I figure these tools could be used to alert you to potential problems. I wouldn't weigh myself then go out and diet based on the numbers; but I would schedule an appointment with my doctor and a nutritionist. It also gives you cause to reevaluate your exercise program.
What's more important than weight is percent body fat.
General Body Fat Percentage Categories From American Council on Exercise:
If my scale or BMI told me I was overweight or obese, I would test my body fat to verify.
One of the best tests is a DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry). Fancy x-ray machine that shows how much body fat you have and where it is. It takes about 20 minutes and 100 dollars (insurance may pay for it, it may not.).
The next is hydrostatic weighing that cost about half as much.
My point is that it's less about weight and more about health. It's more beneficial to eat in order to stay healthy rather than eat in order to lose weight.
Fact of the matter: when you just focus on losing weight, you're not just losing fat, you're potentially losing valuable muscle.
What does eating to stay healthy look like?
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meats. Things that are rich in nutrients, low in calories, low in fat, rich in nutrients. Why nutrients twice? The whole point of eating is to fuel your body with the vitamins, minerals, fiber, unsaturated fats, and energy.
I do think body weight is important for figuring out how much you should eat.
Once you find out what your ideal body weight (I'm talking about your lean body mass), you should eat to sustain that weight.
Most scientist say that 0.8 grams of protein per pound daily is enough to sustain an athletic male. Most people only need 0.4 grams per pound.
Most active people need 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound daily.
0.45 grams of unsaturated fat per pound is also needed.
Regardless of weight, most people need 35 grams of fiber a day.
Translate that into calories. One gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories, as does a gram of protein. A gram of fat, meanwhile, equals 9 calories, and the same amount of alcohol equals 7 calories
I've also heard about shopping the outer perimeter of the grocery store. This is where all the fresh foods are. Foods low in additives or preservatives. Usually, more processed foods lose their nutrients and are essentially worthless.
This reminds me that healthy eating includes a thorough sweep of your kitchen. Just get rid of all the crap so it doesn't tempt you.
I want to touch on something I hear frequently that actually angers me. "I don't eat fruit. Fruit makes you fat." Ugh. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. Let's think this out. How much fruit would you have to eat in order to gain 3500 calories? Secondly, fruits are nutrient dense foods; meaning the nutrients you get from the fruit offset the calories you get from it.
I am weary of canned or other packaged fruit, and fruit juices. They usually add ridiculous amounts of sugar to the fruit. 100% fruit juice is the way to go.
Sounds good.
Eat to sustain a healthy body composition.
I say composition instead of weight because weight is pretty relative. Despite what the charts say, Ideal body weight is different for everyone. There's a calculator that says you should weigh 115 if you're 5'3". I know that when I was 120 pounds people were worried about me, thinking I lost too much weight.
I'm not a big fan of BMI either because it still doesn't account for the ratio of fat to lean body mass.
I used to say that these were a waste of time; but now, I figure these tools could be used to alert you to potential problems. I wouldn't weigh myself then go out and diet based on the numbers; but I would schedule an appointment with my doctor and a nutritionist. It also gives you cause to reevaluate your exercise program.
What's more important than weight is percent body fat.
General Body Fat Percentage Categories From American Council on Exercise:
| Classification | Women (% fat) | Men (% fat) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Fat | 10-12% | 2-4% |
| Athletes | 14-20% | 6-13% |
| Fitness | 21-24% | 14-17% |
| Acceptable | 25-31% | 18-25% |
| Obese | 32% plus | 25% plus |
If my scale or BMI told me I was overweight or obese, I would test my body fat to verify.
One of the best tests is a DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry). Fancy x-ray machine that shows how much body fat you have and where it is. It takes about 20 minutes and 100 dollars (insurance may pay for it, it may not.).
The next is hydrostatic weighing that cost about half as much.
My point is that it's less about weight and more about health. It's more beneficial to eat in order to stay healthy rather than eat in order to lose weight.
Fact of the matter: when you just focus on losing weight, you're not just losing fat, you're potentially losing valuable muscle.
What does eating to stay healthy look like?
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meats. Things that are rich in nutrients, low in calories, low in fat, rich in nutrients. Why nutrients twice? The whole point of eating is to fuel your body with the vitamins, minerals, fiber, unsaturated fats, and energy.
I do think body weight is important for figuring out how much you should eat.
Once you find out what your ideal body weight (I'm talking about your lean body mass), you should eat to sustain that weight.
Most scientist say that 0.8 grams of protein per pound daily is enough to sustain an athletic male. Most people only need 0.4 grams per pound.
Most active people need 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound daily.
0.45 grams of unsaturated fat per pound is also needed.
Regardless of weight, most people need 35 grams of fiber a day.
Translate that into calories. One gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories, as does a gram of protein. A gram of fat, meanwhile, equals 9 calories, and the same amount of alcohol equals 7 calories
I've also heard about shopping the outer perimeter of the grocery store. This is where all the fresh foods are. Foods low in additives or preservatives. Usually, more processed foods lose their nutrients and are essentially worthless.
This reminds me that healthy eating includes a thorough sweep of your kitchen. Just get rid of all the crap so it doesn't tempt you.
I want to touch on something I hear frequently that actually angers me. "I don't eat fruit. Fruit makes you fat." Ugh. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. Let's think this out. How much fruit would you have to eat in order to gain 3500 calories? Secondly, fruits are nutrient dense foods; meaning the nutrients you get from the fruit offset the calories you get from it.
I am weary of canned or other packaged fruit, and fruit juices. They usually add ridiculous amounts of sugar to the fruit. 100% fruit juice is the way to go.
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