-
Roots
"Trying to solve a problem by dealing with the problem is like trying to restore moisture to a leaf by watering the leaf -- whereas the solution lies in watering the root." -- Maharishi Mahesh YogiThere are a lot of people pointing at the mass murder of children by gunfire as evidence that we need tighter gun control laws in the US. Would that ( Read more... ) -
On resolve
I heard a great story on a podcast I was listening to a week or two ago (I think it was Derek RydallA man was sitting with an old woman whom he had sought out for advice on his path. After giving him information, the woman said, "Now, please make a decision ( Read more... ) -
I can't make this stuff up
As part of our current bedtime ritual, I asked Hunter what he liked about today. He didn't say anything.
Shawn: Well? Your mother asked what you liked about today.
Hunter: I'm thinking.
(puts small dinosaur finger puppet on and starts waving it around.)
While I'm thinking, please enjoy the entertainment.
(I close my eyes, ( Read more... ) -
Conveying 9/11
How do you tell a seven-year-old about 9/11 ( Read more... ) -
The pledge of allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the ideals for which it stands: liberty and justice for all.There are reasons why this is the pledge I make. For one thing, I believe that the ideals of liberty and justice transcend political borders ( Read more... ) -
In this moment
I used to spend a lot of time online, reading and writing blogs, commenting, seeing what friends were doing and thinking, holding forth and debating all sorts of things ( Read more... ) -
Sleepyhead
When I awoke Hunter this morning, he snuggled into me. He's getting so big, becoming so sure of himself and his place in the word ( Read more... ) -
Mirror, mirror
Conservatives who claim that the ACORN, Planned Parenthood and now NPR "expose'" tapes show evidence of obvious mendacity on the part of each of those organizations are like those who jumped on the shooting of Rep. Giffords as proof that the "lock'n'load" verbiage used by conservatives was deliberately (or at least irresponsibly) inciting ( Read more... ) -
Musings on "self-interest": a fantasy
The recent revolt in Egypt has nothing to do with the US of A. Will Mubarak be replaced by politicians who hate what they think the US is and stands for? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe we need to focus more on burnishing our Shining Beacon than on trying to manipulate and cajole other countries into being nice to us ( Read more... ) -
Disagreement vs demonization
Someone asked me the difference between political disagreement and demonization. I came up with the following description:
- Demonization is saying nasty things about your opponent rather than disagreeing with his or her ideas.
- Demonization is labeling and dismissing large groups of people instead of discussing the efficacy of specific policies.
- ( Read more... )