Thursday, June 30, 2005

perception

Take two people: person A and person B

When person A has decided that person B is "good", for anything that person B does, person A works to understand because person A is perceiving things with "rose colored glasses". (10pm update: note, the "good" status person B may have attained is a very volatile state, and can easily turn into a perception of being "bad")

But if person A has decided that person B is "bad", everything that person B does is viewed with suspicion by person A. Person B, then, "cannot win", even if various things are done with a spirit of compassion. (10pm update: extremely difficult to move from the "bad" state to the "good" state; but not impossible)
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Since I have noticed this trend, I have tried hard to examine my perceptions of what other folks are doing. I would rather not be decieved by a perception I have that may not be in line with what is really happening in the world around me. I may not always succeed in working to remain objective, but keeping it in mind helps.

ended blogs

These are the blogs I had put on my blogroll but have since stopped publishing (so I took them off my blogroll):
Andrew's Backburner
marissa (BETA)

I like the writing.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

catholic books

I'm not catholic, but have found many catholic references in The Brothers Karamazov. Here's a site that shows lots of catholic books. I've been amazed at the phrases they used when describing the Crusades. No wonder some Muslims are so angry.

update 7/27/05: it's not Catholicism that is the primary religion practiced in The Brothers Karamazov, but Russian Orthodox.

oboe sex

from Arts & Letters Daily:

Who says the oboe is not a sexy instrument? A skill with it led one woman into some extraordinary positions... more» ... more»

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

my day

  • get up; take dogs out if they're up too
  • feed cat
  • turn on TV
  • eat breakfast - cereal, OJ, tea
  • go to work
  • come home - early - only 8 hours today (whoohoo)
  • have a Smirnoff Ice; nap
  • wake up; have peanut butter toast & chocolate milk for dinner
  • use computer

Don't know what to do with myself. It's too hot to work on the quilt. I don't really feel like reading. My husband and son are away. I don't have the car.

language

from SciTech Daily:

The genetic roots of language run deep, from humans to mice [the story]

Monday, June 27, 2005

dogs like mine

ahh, Miss Grrrtrude!

[dogs like mine]

peace and prosperity

from Alternet.org:

AN IDLER'S LIFE
Katie Renz, Mother Jones

What would happen if we embraced a four-day work week, or decided to work just three hours a day? [the story]

prayer, In Time of Need

from Beliefnet.com:

Heavenly Father, in my present need, help me to believe that you are aware of my anxiety and will do what is best for me. Give me the strength to trust you and put the present and future in your hands. Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

beacon of liberty

from Arts & Letters Daily:

American exceptionalism is an idea whose time has come – and gone, argues Howard Zinn. Spreading liberty is a fine idea, but... more»
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:-(
This article caused me to recall the term jingoism.

china, falun gong

Chinese news service, leidenuniv.nl, China WWW library, faluninfo.net

the books:
Falun Gong (Law Wheel Qigong) and Zhuan Falun (Turning the Law Wheel)

I went searching around for information on this because I picked up a photocopied pamphlet at a coffee shop we frequent (closest one within walking distance - good for lunch). The pamphlet spoke about persecution that followers of Falun Gong have been going through in China. I found many links talking about the persecution, but not any speaking of justification for it (like, perhaps, the Chinese government's rationale for acting the way it has, maybe calling it something else).

Friday, June 24, 2005

for my son

today he'd like to be a gym teacher . . .

Health Concerns Spark Demand for Physical Education Teachers

Many of today's kids spend more time in front of the TV or the computer screen than on the playground. That's leading to health concerns -- and sparking a demand for physical education teachers.

Read the exclusive feature from Bridges [the story]

online TV

http://beelinetv.com/

Thursday, June 23, 2005

to globe or not to globe . . .

from Arts & Letters Daily:

Globalization, once a hip topic, was undercut by 9/11. It is now coming back as a subject of more sober reflection... more»

weird science

from SciTech Daily:

Amputee wannabes become obsessed with cutting off a particular part of their body, even though it may be healthy. [the story]

reading on the web

from SciTech Daily:

How the Web changes your reading habits [the story]

liquid info

from Wired News:

Information Wants to be Liquid
The Liquid Information project wants to tear down the web and rebuild it in the image of Wikipedia: a free-for-all where readers are writers and no word is sacrosanct. Are they mad? By Jason Walsh.
------------------------
update 6/25: Here's a previous blog entry I had on Wikipedia. Here's a direct link to the liquid information site.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Kabbalah

Ever interested in finding inspiring text, I fell across the following information regarding the Kabbalah:

Kabbalah 101
Judaism 101 - Kabbalah

I searched through various sites and believe the above to be reliable sources. There are many others which are selling lots of stuff or are suspiciously popping windows up.

cell-phones -n- cars

from SciTech Daily:

A phone in the car -- even a hands-free one -- makes the driver a no-brainer [the story]

Even without reading it, I agree.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

unhappiness

from the Daily Dig:

If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. The name of that thing is attachment. What is an attachment? An emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or some person you cannot be happy.
Again and again we need to let go.

Sunday, June 19, 2005

race unity day

Last Sunday was race unity day, as declared by the Baha'i religion. Plenty of food for thought in there.

empathy

from Arts & Letters Daily:

Arthur Miller had the curse of empathy, even for the enemy. Humans justify themselves, even bad humans, and he always wanted to know how and why... more»

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Accidents Happen--In a Context

'nuther from Beliefnet.com:

What is the relationship between increased Christian evangelism in the U.S. Government and abuse of Muslims and the Qur'an? [the story]

a rose by any other name

is still a rose.



from Beliefnet.com:

Prayer for All of Humanity

I pray for all of humanity to one day feel the pulse of the Mother Earth in their feet as they tread. I pray for mankind to find the faith to believe in the messages carried by their dreams and to see beyond the visible world. I pray that everyone I come in contact with can walk away with much, or at least some, of the happiness that lives within me. I pray for peace, acceptance, and tolerance for all who express their love for the higher power (whatever that name may be). Most of all, I pray for an end to the violence and depravity that darkens many souls. Peace be with us all!

- Beliefnet member LadyLovelyBug

Friday, June 17, 2005

sigh

I had a ferret once . . .

Here are some pictures of someone else's ferrets.

happy face

here's my favorite:

(the search I used)

peace-n-all

from uri.org:

Lahore, Pakistan International Peace Conference is a great success

We were Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Zoroastrians and Baha’i, all united under the banner of URI. What a unity in diversity! The April 2005 International Peace Conference was blessed with representatives of 15 URI Cooperation Circles, Pakistan government dignitaries, Islamic scholars and Chief Guest Madam Masami Saionji, the chairperson of Goi Peace Foundation of Japan..

Addressing the participants, Madam Saionji said that a change in religious leaders’ way of thinking was required in order to have religions promote peace. She highly admired the peace and interfaith harmony efforts of the URI members in Pakistan.

Presiding over the opening ceremony, former Chief Justice of the High Court, Dr. Javed Iqbal said that collective action is required for the promotion of a sense of neighborhood among religions to ensure peace in the world.

After concentrating on many aspects of peace for three days, the diverse participants took on the challenge of making real their dream of promoting and maintaining peace in our society.
Read the whole report.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

alchemy part trois

This book gives a critical view of alchemy. It is supposedly written for children, so it is easy to read. However, my son was not interested to read it with me. He liked the spiritual aspects and metaphors only, and this is written more like nonfiction.

my entry of 6/3

blockbusters

from SciTech Daily:

Here's a mathematical equation that will tell you whether it's worth seeing the next hyped-up block-buster [the story]

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

FDR on war

FDR hated war . . . [his "I hate war" speech]


Presidential Library and Museum


deep faith <> politics

from Arts & Letters Daily:

to me, [the election] was Imperialism, Plutocracy, and Capital Punishment versus Imperialism, Plutocracy, and Abortion... more»

remote web access . . . or, the great information divide

from IEEE:

According to a report in this month's issue of IEEE Spectrum, the assumption that Internet access in China is only available in modern cities is far from the truth. Thanks to the burgeoning of online services in China's once remote and impoverished villages, the country's rural areas are now making profitable use of the Internet in order to upscale local markets and boost the country's economy. According to the article, private investors, like China Telecom Co., have installed Internet infrastructures in villages and small towns nation-wide which are giving small farmers a chance to run their businesses online. Read more

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

divination

a free site to read your future: facade.com

great minds

from Arts & Letters Daily:

“What if Nietzsche (or Poe, or whoever) had taken Prozac?” Praise anti-depressants and sooner or later you’re asked the question... more»

snot

from SciTech Daily:

Giant balls of snot explain ocean mystery [story]

Sunday, June 12, 2005

belief-o-matic

I just took this quiz. I've taken it before, and am curious here and there to take it again. Here are my results today:

1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%) ; 2. Liberal Quakers (95%) ; 3. Unitarian Universalism (79%) ; 4. Bahá'í Faith (73%) ; 5. Orthodox Quaker (73%) ; 6. Secular Humanism (62%) ; 7. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (60%) ; 8. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (60%) ; 9. Neo-Pagan (56%) ; 10. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (54%) ; 11. New Age (54%) ; 12. Jehovah's Witness (52%) ; 13. Reform Judaism (51%) ; 14. Sikhism (51%) ; 15. Theravada Buddhism (48%) ; 16. Mahayana Buddhism (42%) ; 17. Taoism (40%) ; 18. New Thought (39%) ; 19. Nontheist (39%) ; 20. Eastern Orthodox (36%) ; 21. Islam (36%) ; 22. Orthodox Judaism (36%) ; 23. Roman Catholic (36%) ; 24. Jainism (32%) ; 25. Scientology (31%) ; 26. Seventh Day Adventist (30%) ; 27. Hinduism (23%)

bionic brain

from Arts & Letters Daily:

You are what you eat, and that includes your brain. So what then is the ultimate mastermind diet?... more»

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Quakers

Quakers are very interested in peace and non-violence. Here is a page describing the types of Quakers that there are: [link]

Friday, June 10, 2005

non-resistance

I'm reading a Tolstoy book, "The Kingdom of God is Within You." This seems like a spiritual-motivational book (and "sweet") from its title, but it is actually very anti-establishment, especially with regard to traditional religion.
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6/28 update: I found the early parts interesting, then I got tired of him talking about arguments against non-resistance, so I went to a later chapter. I was still tired of the tone of the book, so I took it back to the library.
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Here is an excerpt, with a little introductory text, by me:
Tolstoy is saying why Christians should not participate in armies, because it is against grounding principles of not killing anyone, and feeling love and compassion for all, without judgement. In the excerpt he is discussing Christian leaders who have criticized his writings on this. The "first" argument was that the Christian leaders would pull quotes, out of context, from the bible, in order to base their claims that violence against someone is just.

"The second, somewhat less gross, form of argument consists in declaring that, though Christ did indeed preach that we should turn the left cheek, and give the cloak also, and this is the highest moral duty, yet that there are wicked men in the world,and if these wicked men mere not restrained by force, the whole world and all good men would come to ruin through them. This argument I found for the first time in John Chrysostom, and I slow how he is mistaken in my book "What I believe."

This argument is ill grounded, because if we allow ourselves to regard any men as intrinsically wicked men, then in the first place we annul, by so doing, the whole idea of the Christian teaching, according to which we are all equals and brothers, as sons of one father in heaven. Secondly, it is ill founded, because even if to use force against wicked men had been permitted by God, since it is impossible to find a perfect and unfailing distinction by which one could positively know the wicked from the good, so it would come to all individual men and societies of men mutually regarding each other as wicked men, as is the case now. Thirdly, even if it were possible to distinguish the wicked from the good unfailingly, even then it would be impossible to kill or injure or shut up in prison these wicked men, because there would be no one in a Christian society to carry out such punishment, since every Christian, as a Christian, has been commanded to use no force against the wicked.
"

I find these arguments especially compelling in our times, because this (the first Tolstoy paragraph) contains the major arguments for US violence against Iraq and other countries.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

wanna read this

The Brothers Karamazov

update 6/28: I am reading it - I like it!
7/14: still reading. I can see why it's considered Dostoevsky's finest work.

Monday, June 06, 2005

weed

I'm not a participant or anything, but found the following article interesting:


Subject: CBSNews.com News Alert!
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 10:22:17 -0400

The Supreme Court has ruled federal authorities can prosecute people who smoke marijuana for medical reasons.

[the article]

6/7 update: [a response], from Alternet.org; also, [more press], from FOX

puberty

from Scitech Daily:

Whether you call it metamorphosis or puberty, maturation is a time of change [the article]

animals . . .

from SciTech Daily:

Shining a spotlight on some of the extraordinary ways we think about and treat animals
>>the article

Sunday, June 05, 2005

old time atheism

from Salman Rushdie: [the essay]

Seems to me there's a mistaken premise there, with someone who is atheist convinced that any person following a religion would not be able to have open communications with someone who isn't. The book that's being written about sounds interesting.

6/6 note:
I'm told I can contact Mr. Rushdie via the NYTimes. I've gotten this far so far.
7/14: I looked for a little while, then moved on to other things. eh.

Friday, June 03, 2005

alchemy part deux

In May I mentioned a couple things on alchemy. Well, here's a site that takes itself seriously about the topic. I found it in the SciTech archives.