Perspective--Helps more than Artists

It is the enemy who can truly teach us to practice the virtues of compassion and tolerance.


-The Dalai Lama


So True. It is imperative I stay open and flexible enough to learn the lessons adversity has to teach me. From enemies to flu to fibromyalgia/myofascial syndrome, I am surrounded by my loving enemies. It is all a matter of perspective.

Falling in Late December

Fall Thoughts...Who Knew

"In the midst of life we are in death." Book of Common Prayer, The Burial of the Dead, First Anthem. ("Oxford Dictionary of Quotations," Fifth Edition, edited by Elizabeth Knowles,Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York, 2001). It is the end of the week. Nearly the end of a year which saw the final endings for many friends. To bring a child into life these days means a resolute facing of the fact that children die. Some sooner than later. And then adults die. And certainly animals we surround ourselves with as surrogate family die. Ah, well. It is a sigh and goodbye if we are lucky enough to have the time to do that. And even though this blog entry sounds sad, I am not sad. It just is what it is and that is enough. Peace.

Missing Heath Ledger

Ever Notice?

There is a wonderfully funny movie 10 Things I Hate About You. The dad in the movie is a crazy obstetrician who is obsessed with his girls not having s.e.x. So obsessed that everytime they talk with him about boys, he has them wear what he calls "the belly." Now the belly is an add on device that really makes a persons' profile look pregnant. I mention this because lately I am seeing lots of people -- men as well as women -- look as if they are wearing the "belly." It is bad enough for us moms. But when the guys do it too? Pathetic!

Welcome to Casablanca-Land

All Embracing Casablanca-Land

America, land of the slurb and the traffic jam. Home of the schools that have students who need course support for the 47 different languages here in the Fairfax County area. America is also the land of last resort for those driven out of their home nations either through war, economic hardship, famine or what have you. America, land of the world warriors. We bring war to Southeast Asia and acquire Vietnamese/Laotian/Cambodian refugees. We bring war to Europe and acquire East European refugees. We bring war to Iraq and refuse the refugees admittance. Makes me scratch my head on that one. America is the place of last resort for people who no longer exist in the "wild" outside of our borders. I refer specifically to parts of the world destroyed by good old American technology. Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South/North Korea all have sent many refugees into our country. Some landed here in Northern Virginia and for a few years there were no cats seen roaming outside. They were collecting freezer burn as the newest immigrants discovered a new food source like the ones they had left back home. The immigration resettlement officer had to deal with that one. But new people are not always the cause of bad things. It is sort of like seeing a snow leopard in repose. You sort of know the leopard isn't safe but golly gee, isn't he beautiful?? I bring this up because of the Dalai Lama recent visit here to Washington, D.C. The Tibet he represents exists only in memory due to the cruel repression of the Chinese government. We are becoming Casablanca, MiB-Land. Folks exist here even though they no longer thrive outside our borders. As we ready to eat the thousands of slaughtered turkeys, let us remember that the turkeys who run this country are not immigrant friendly, not foreigner friendly, but are the only thing between the repressive governments like China (with whom we trade now) and us. Sigh. Happy Day. Peace Now Please

Clean Cursing

Oh, cranberries!

Ever look for a clean curse and come up empty?? I have. I use seasonal ones:
"Oh, cranberries" is useful. But I am working in a new curse: You son of a bagel baker....for use during Passover. It is always a good idea to have curses in different traditions. Some are more euphonious. Ehos de basura....or Sons of Garbage.

Keep your curses clean and full of fun

Spockian Blessings

I recently voiced my rather strong opinion about the State of Virginia's newest Grand Plan -- remember the last one folks? You remember, it was the one where Richmond became the capital of the confederacy. This newest and brightest idea concerns the wholesale in-gathering of cats who are wandering outside. Whether lost or not, treasured pet or castoff, all these cats were to be hauled to the various overworked animal shelters and killed. Yes, that's right. In the land of the free and the home of the brave, the best we can do is kill animals that are not terrorists. I wrote and expressed myself online and figured I would not make one iota of difference. Imagine my shock when I heard back from one of the folks who was fighting the good fight (translation -- she was on my side of the battle line) to keep the cats from being put down. I am in her debt. She and her fellow legislators were able to take the proposal right off the table and back into the Committee for more study. I know she has surely earned my vote and that is saying something for me these days. May she live long and prosper -- a Spockian blessing.

Supposes

I suppose it is no secret that I love to write. Mostly I really love to write to people who care -- whether it is about the loss of civility, the loss of habitat, the arrogance of the majority trampling those who are too quiet to speak up for themselves or the quiet sorrows that surround people going through loss either from the death of family, friends or companion animals. I connect with those issues best. Perhaps it is because I have needed to have someone listen to me when I am sad and no one ever did, that now I am opening my heart to comfort them which in turn comforts me. I find this is a circular process -- this healing I am doing. I heal others and am healed my them. It is a process of discovery as we inch towards the future a heart at a time.

Too Good to be True

Well, You All Knew My Silence was too Good to be True

Unemployment. War. Economy. Stock companies cooking the books. Campaign trails. Observations. Overflowing with ... anger is too strong a word. Disgust doesn't come close. Best left unsaid but a huge Ah, well, pretty much encompasses my feelings at this moment. The more things change the more they stay the same. Corruption breeds corruption. Joy breeds joy. So let's clone some joy today.

Just Stop the World, I want to Get Off

Where to Stop

Stop listening to C-Span. Stop listening to Fox News. Stop listening to NPR News. Stop, stop, stop. We are rife with negativity. No surprise we are a nation addicted to helping other nations fight wars that never should have been started. We are so busy pointing at how awful other countries are, we have lost sight that we are certainly no better and in many ways worse because we will not look at the facts on the ground. Fact one...unemployment is low. Truth suffers on this one. Unemployment is low for two reasons -- the number of young people in the military on this bogus extension of the 9/11 war and the people who have been out of work are not counted after a certain amount of time goes by. And the facts could go on from there. Unfortunately there is not enough time in the day to list all of the bogus things passing as truth when a harried person looks at them quickly. An unblinking assessment of what we are doing to ourselves as a nation, to our citizens, to our wanna-bee citizens, to our souls is what is needed in this hyper-heated atmosphere. Global warming? Hah, it has hit critical mass here in the U.S. and no one is paying attention. The political melt down will be something DHS won't be able to REAL ID or deal with.

Rescue Me...Classic Song

Rescue

Back in the heyday of the Vietnam protests, students hung flags upside down in the universal symbol of distress. It really makes more sense now with REAL ID coming down the pike at us, with prison labor taking over regular jobs, with contracts for data entry going to the Big House, with our national economy based upon the wars we start with other nations. We need rescuing just as surely as those cats and dogs I drive up I-95. Sigh.

Meanwhile, just hum a few bars of that classic rhythm & blues song

Aretha Franklin - Rescue Me Lyrics

Morals, Ethics and Politics

Moral Principles...Daily Buddhist Wisdom

Dangerous consequences will follow when politicians and rulers forget moral principles. Whether we believe in God or karma, ethics is the foundation of every religion. -His Holiness the Dalai Lama From "The Pocket Dalai Lama," edited by Mary Craig, 2002. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.

Frank L. Baum and Oz - A New Look

Behind the Breastbone Beats

Behind the Breastbone Beats ... a Heart. A heart was all the Tinman was looking for in the classic Judy Garland movie "Wizard of Oz." Recently the SciFi Channel reinterpreted the Wizard of Oz. Called the "Tin Man" this classic movie is a wonderful modernization of the original Baum book. Really thoughtful. Really thought provoking. Wisecracking, sad, wise. Frank Baum wrote lots of books about his universe of Oz. None of them pretty. And this adaptation captures that sense of ugliness amidst the stunning beauty of modernity. It captures the soul of what Baum was writing about in his modern fairy tale for the 19th and early 20th century. And its' appeal is timeless. Because, after all, hearts are the icon of the soul.

The Botox of Souls

Souls and Botox

Unlike Hollywood stars whose good looks are frozen in place by botox, the soul is the one thing that never ever needs botox to look good. No matter how tattered, no matter how closed down, the soul can revive and grow. It doesn't grow according to the filofax calendar or according to our own demands. It grows because we work it. And we need to do that work these days more than ever with all the awful news both locally and abroad coming to the surface. I don't know if there is an increase in bad news. Or if there is an interest in selling products which means that news stations need to find a "hook" to attract watchers and bad news is sexy and sells. Or if bad news is increasing (if you believe in the end of days theory of life). What I do know is that bad news is bad for my soul. It makes that maggot of fear and mistrust grow and grow so I stay away from people, stay away from food, stay isolated in my own little world which tends to shrink more and more and become as dark as 3 am with the winds of sorrow whistling through. Brrrr. So I write, I read wonderful books by Bujold, I listen to Garrison Keillor, I listen to a CD called "Irish Drinking Songs for Cats."

This Thing Called Statistics

Statisticians and Liars

If the devil is in the details, then it stands to reason that the devil is a statistician. At least these days he or she is. The older I get, the more I dislike statistics. I like plain facts. No charts, no tables, no itty bitty details buried in the document. No Disclaimer Statements, No Footnotes. Just the facts. No slippery words that could be construed another way. Just plain ordinary information.

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On Polar Bears and Snow Days

Snow Day

Polar bears are dying and I worry about a little ice. Go figure.

On Clorox and Cheap Rings

Cheap Rings and Clorox

I have a wonderful ring I found at Target. It was cheap and full of really wonderful sayings. Unfortunately, I didn't realize its shiny surface could be damaged by the Clorox I use to wash floors in the cattery. So now I have a favorite ring that is like the rest of my life -- lovely and shiny in areas and worn through in others. How appropriate! Hmmmm, maybe those harsh cleaners are actually called 'life'.

I believe a lot of us are like my ring. We look "good" on the surface but in adversity those pesky flaws come right up front and center. If we ignore them, we risk having them get bigger and bigger until they ice right over our souls.

If only global warming worked on souls...we'd thaw out and actually care about each other.

That's it for now for me. Hugs for eternity.

Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace and the Media

My heart goes out to Dennis Kuchinich and his campaign. For some reason that I don't understand, mainstream media is not a fan of Dennis the Menace. (Nickname from his earlier political days as Mayor of Cleveland when the Cuyahoga River would catch on fire). Dennis now is sparring with NBC who decides who will be allowed to debate using NBC/MSNBC airwaves. They recently changed the "first four" rule to "first three" which prevented Dennis from participating in last Tuesday night's debate. This arbitrary and capricious change certainly kept me from judging for myself how Dennis would answer the questions posed to everyone on the dias. And I resent that 'right' being taken away from me. Frankly, I think Dennis has an absolutely vital point and I hope he finds some positive resolution in the court system. As a nation we absolutely cannot allow corporations to choose who our elected officials are going to be. And it is all too clear that this corporate choosing is the way of the future politically in this country.

Musing on Kucinich

Observations On the Other Hand

On the other hand, Dennis might need to read the latest Buddhist Wisdom note from today:

A petty officer often thinks of the rules; a seasoned general doesn't talk of soldiering. -Zen proverb From "The Pocket Zen Reader," edited by Thomas Cleary, 1999. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.

It is pretty clear from the quote that those who complain about the rules lose sight of the battle. Ron Paul (on the Republican side) has the right idea about being denied a voice. He just works on the internet polls and keeps getting money for his campaign that way. We may be seeing a new way to conduct political debate in the country where Corporations back the candidates most likely to support them economically versus Candidates who through their own supporters' efforts are viable on the internet and no-where else. At this time, though, I am not sure which way will actually work on Election Day. We, as citizens, may need to adopt new technologies and demand the process change. All I say is, 'good luck with that.'

FN: Harry Truman allegedly remarked he needed/liked one handed economists because he hated to hear "on the other hand" explanations. IDK if it is true but it is imbedded in my brain as if it were.....

Clear as a Lotus in the Mud

Thought for the Day

Cancer Horoscope

(June 21 - Jul 22)

Something needs to come out into the open today, so you can integrate this information into your current plan. You may already have big ideas about what you want to change in your daily routine, but may have a hard time knowing how to do it until you have all the facts. Carefully asking the right questions now can help you discover what you need to know.

**********************

Well, that's clear as mud. But it does really relate to something I am dealing with so it isn't that off base. What is worthy of mention here is that it is the tension (for me) between my wants and my responsibilities. Very far apart on this particular issue. Light years. Mega Light Years. The bottom line is for me to stay out of the origami folds trying to smooth life out. Life and the universe do not work that way. Life and the universe like bumpiness even though it tears the heck out of my personal transmission. Sigh.

I See Famous People....

Leonardo DiCaprio and Cats

I think I saw Leonardo DiCaprio this week in front of the building I work in. It was awkward. He was trying to be ignored and I was trying to stay out of the way of him and his friend because they kept turning around and looking at me. Talk about awkward. Only as I crossed the street did I realize who it was. I bring this up because it is so rare when I actually see someone who is in the news. Sadly, when people start swooning over how gorgeous he is and ask me "what did I think when I saw him?", I blank out. All I can say is that if he were a cat, I'd have been far more impressed and glowing about how cool it was to actually see him in person.

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