Tuesday, July 22, 2008

On The Importance of Living (and not dying or killing)

The Importance Of Living The Importance Of Living by Lin Yutang


My review


rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lin Yutang, Rumi, Martin Buber, Lao T'se, Jesus, Buddha, Rabindranath Tagore, Gandhi...these are the words that can heal our troubled world. In a sensationalized world, the reader of Lin Yutang's great classic will learn how to enjoy merely sitting, lying in bed, reading, writing, walking, and nearly everything one can do that harms no other or self.



For my money, the most important part of "The Importance of Living" is where he discusses, at some length, the non-soldier, and all the good and necessary qualities contained therein. Not exactly a non-soldier, but a scamp, and a "wayward and incalculable" scamp as he lovingly calls it, is, an essential spice in life, and, he argues, to be particularly treasured. As Erich Fromm once said: "Civilization began with an act of disobedience, and is likely to end in an act of obedience."

Lin Yutang, Rumi, Martin Buber, Lao T'se, Jesus, Buddha, Rabindranath Tagore, Gandhi. Where is the soldier? Where the follower?

Libraries and bookstores are filled with books praising soldiers and dutiful followers. I needn't add to it, lest future generations think that is all there is. One mustn't forget the lowly but wise huckfins of the world, for they are the flowers that get mowed down, but surrender their scent and beauty even as they die.



Dr. Yuyang's words are as if spoken to you by a trusted friend. I'd even say that his style might well serve as an excellent alternative to the hateful spew emitted daily on really bad radio stations like WBT, who fill the air with Rush and other serial prevaricators.



You will not regret having purchases this book, and you will probably never part with it either...especially now that China is playing a larger and larger role in our present and future. Have at it. Enjoy your transformation.




View all my reviews.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Permabush: The New Dictation - Genocide or Suicide...that is the question?

From the BUSHWORLD SOLUTIONS series...
Presenting Solution #23
"When you find yourself in a hole, create conditions whereby you must continue digging."

In this episode, we find a Philip Atkinson, who suggests that GW Bush be made the permanent president. That's Right. Wait until the stock market of presidencies hits rock bottom, and then make the bottom the exemplar and permanency. Sound daft? Risible? Ludibund? Well read on, Chong! There is more here to tickle your angst-bone than in all the scrawled blepherospasms of Kafka (not really but it could happen, and sounds good) and besides you probably have nothing to do anyway, or at least you shouldn't, because I know you work hard all day in the bright sunlight...but alas, I digress...

HIGHLIGHTS OF POST-SANITY DOCUMENT
(with editorial comments in bold italic, and areas I would like to highlight in regular italic.)

Author: Philip Atkinson
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: August 3, 2007


Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy
By Philip Atkinson

President George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States. He was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005 after being chosen by the majority of citizens in America to be president. Don't you feel like going to sleep already?

Yet in 2007 he is generally despised, with many citizens of Western civilization expressing contempt for his person and his policies, sentiments which now abound on the Internet. This rage at President Bush is an inevitable result of the system of government demanded by the people, which is Democracy.

The inadequacy of Democracy, rule by the majority, is undeniable - for it demands adopting ideas because they are popular, rather than because they are wise. This means that any man chosen to act as an agent of the people is placed in an invidious position: if he commits folly because it is popular, then he will be held responsible for the inevitable result. If he
refuses to commit folly, then he will be detested by most citizens because he is frustrating their demands. OR the manifestation of his or her vision can be so glaringly beneficial to humanity that the people do not mind being gently led into a more peaceful and loving garden. NOT led into fighting and killing just so a handful of suits reap ungodly profits, while other children of God are murdered and forced to kill their brothers and sisters, while destroying all lifeforms on earth in the process, including water and air. Oh ye Gods of Pollution! Oh ye GOP!

When faced with the possible threat that the Iraqis might be amassing terrible weapons that could be used to slay millions of citizens of Western Civilization, President Bush took the only action prudence demanded and the electorate allowed: he conquered Iraq with an army.

This dangerous and expensive act did destroy the Iraqi regime, but left an American army without any clear purpose in a hostile country and subject to attack. If the Army merely returns to its home, then the threat it ended would simply return. If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit.

The wisest course would have been for President Bush to use his nuclear weapons to slaughter Iraqis until they complied with his demands, or until they were all dead. This is the wisest course? Why stop there? The wisest of the wisest would nuke the whole world, nay, universe until it complied, or was totally dead. Then there would be little risk or expense and no American army would be left exposed. But if he did this, his cowardly electorate would have instantly ended his term of office, if not his freedom or his life. How do they come up with this stuff?

The simple truth that modern weapons now mean a nation must practice genocide or commit suicide. This is not even a complete sentence, not to mention the cold misanthropy. So Mr. Atkinson is so paranoid and precious that he thinks that "to be or not to be" is a question that we get to decide...for everyone. Genocide or Suicide? This is the Republican Vision? The Mission Statement? Where is the better Feng Shui? Where the peaceful garden? Where is the love? The caring? The stewardship? The community? All those things that better people create and maintain? Anyway... Israel provides the perfect example. If the Israelis do not raze Iran, the Iranians will fulfill their boast and wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Yet Israel is not popular, and so is denied permission to defend itself. I'm sorry. The ignorance is deafening. In the same vein, President Bush cannot do what is necessary for the survival of Americans. He cannot use the nation's powerful weapons. All he can do is try and discover a result that will be popular with Americans.

As there appears to be no sensible result of the invasion of Iraq that will be popular with his countrymen other than retreat, President Bush is reviled; he has become another victim of Democracy. Blame the victims!

By elevating popular fancy over truth, Democracy is clearly an enemy of not just truth, but duty and justice, which makes it the worst form of government. President Bush must overcome not just the situation in Iraq, but democratic government. Exhibit A

However, President Bush has a valuable historical example that he could choose to follow.

When the ancient Roman general Julius Caesar was struggling to conquer ancient Gaul, he not only had to defeat the Gauls, but he also had to defeat his political enemies in Rome who would destroy him the moment his tenure as consul (president) ended. Does he smell war crimes tribunal? And not just for big daddy? Is this the source of paranoia?

Caesar pacified Gaul by mass slaughter; he then used his successful army to crush all political opposition at home and establish himself as permanent ruler of ancient Rome. This brilliant action not only ended the personal threat to Caesar, but ended the civil chaos that was threatening anarchy in ancient Rome - thus marking the start of the ancient Roman Empire that gave peace and prosperity to the known world.

If President Bush copied Julius Caesar by ordering his army to empty Iraq of Arabs and repopulate the country with Americans, he would achieve immediate results: popularity with his military; enrichment of America by converting an Arabian Iraq into an American Iraq (therefore turning it from a liability to an asset); and boost American prestige while terrifying
American enemies. Are these not the machinations of Evil?

He could then follow Caesar's example and use his new found popularity with the military to wield military power to become the first permanent president of America, and end the civil chaos caused by the continually squabbling Congress and the out-of-control Supreme Court. Not just the United States of America at this point, I notice.

President Bush can fail in his duty to himself, his country, and his God, by becoming "ex-president" Bush or he can become "President-for-Life" Bush: the conqueror of Iraq, who brings sense to the Congress and sanity to the Supreme Court. Then who would be able to stop Bush from emulating Augustus Caesar and becoming ruler of the world? For only an America united under one ruler has the power to save humanity from the threat of a new Dark Age
wrought by terrorists armed with nuclear weapons. No offense, but we are that power and that threat, and Bushworld IS the darkening of the light. The I Ching has said that time and again. Since 2000. Take it up with the Ching. Strangely, I always knew that Bushworld was anti-tao, against nature and spirit, and its subtle interplay, and this document lays it all out. I only hope we have the good judgement and graces to consign it to the wasteheap of horribly bad ideas.



Digby, who has also been tracking this, found these gems:

"The merits of the great new plan are being debated over at Free Republic right now, and here are a few responses in favor of the proposal:"

a.. "I can see why they took his piece down. Some of his views are a wee bit off the right edge. He actually espouses some of the extreme measures that the extremists on the far left enjoy falsly accusing President Bush of plotting."

b.. "The difference between a democracy and a monarchy is that in a monarchy you only have to put up with one idiot."

c.. "What exactly is crazy about what Mr. Atkinson is suggesting? He's actually framing a very common-sense principal: If democracy is destroying America then democracy needs to go. And, personally, there are very few of us here on FR who wouldn't like to see the lands of Allah turned into a glass parking lot. In fact, I'm saving a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne for when it happens."

Conservative think tank: Bush "a victim of Democracy"
NeoCon Think Tank documents show president bush as the new Caesar
Think Tank Calls For Bush to Be Dictator For Life
Madness in Consideration
Think Tank Calls For Bush to Be Dictator For Life
conquering the drawbacks of democracy - Philip Atkinson
Iran: H. CON. Res. 362| Take Action Time.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Harvard Square @ Google Earth in 3-D

Google Earth now has photorealistic 3-D buildings that you can create and add to Google Earth. I'm only just now learning how to create these buildings and environments, but someone with more architectural wherewithal might meet with great results...and a possible career at transferring the 3-D world onto the new globe.


Harvard Square from Google Earth (a clip)

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Edwards!

Today is the birthday of one of the coolest women ever. Ironically, she is also one of the warmest women ever as well.

My friend, MaryAnn took this picture of Elizabeth and me discussing a passage in a book.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Friday, June 06, 2008

Fail the Magic Internet Meme

"Fail" is the name of a popular internet meme where users superimpose the word "fail" onto embarrassing or compromising photos.[1][2][3] The G4 television channel has a web feature called "Epic Fail" that denotes major gaffs in popular culture - a mainstream play on the meme.[4] Fail Dogs, an animal version, made the front page of Digg in February, 2008.
- Wikipedia

Friday, May 30, 2008

Icky War Crimes Make Scott McClellan Dance for his Dollars

Several years ago, I wrote about today's man of the hour, and now, I wonder if he didn't take my hint...
_____________________________
Icky War Crimes Make Scott McClellan Dance for his Dollars
Written by anonyMoses
Published November 10, 2005

White House Briefing: McClellan Deflects Questions on Torture Exemption A Couple Dozen Times

It must be tough being an apologist for war criminals and their icky need to torture, especially now that they can no longer claim proprietorship of the so-called American mainstream, which they polluted and left for dead in their race to reach the right fringe of Hell.
So much easier to just emulate Jesus or Rumi or Gautama than to emulate power-crazed megalomaniacs — who could never see beyond their alcohol-emboldened egos.

So much easier to just emulate Jesus or Rumi or Gautama than to emulate power-crazed megalomaniacs — who could never see beyond their alcohol-emboldened egos.
America should be courageous enough to cough up its own hairballs when they threaten the flow of air. And yet our air is filled with hairballs and nutballs, all hyperventilating shrill emotions, as if amplitude will serve to persuade. But as George Bernard Shaw once observed, "Not intelligent, only opinionated." Yet some people guzzle opinion as if it were knowledge, thus real food. Only when they die of malnutrition might they realize that one has to eat something more substantial than chicken. Faux chicken.

bla bla bla...

the rest is here.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Bugliosi: George Bush's Unseemly Response to the Suffering He Has Caused

How has George Bush reacted to the hell he created in Iraq, to the thousands of lives that have been lost in the war, and to the enormous and endless suffering that the survivors of the victims -- their loved ones -- have had to endure?

READ ON

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Friday, May 23, 2008

CHEAP, SAFE HOUSE DESIGNED FOR QUAKE-PRONE AREAS



When thinking about the recent earthquake in China, and the tragedy of Myanmar, I was reminded of the work of an old friend from Cambridge who was working on the problem of affordable, safe, mud-based houses, boats and such, at MIT. At the time he was showing, in his thesis, how one could use mud and chickenwire to create said homes and boats. I think he already knew what the future was going to bring.

Doing a simple search, I found this related article on some of his more recent work, which needs to be embraced and multiplied.

EXCERPT:

Mr Sultan told Dawn that he had designed mud houses that could withstand a 8.5 intensity earthquake - one point higher than the October tremor which measured 7.6 on the Richter Scale.

Mud houses could be highly resistant to seismic forces if modern architectural techniques are used in their construction.

“Iran did nothing good by putting a ban on building mud houses after the Bam earthquake. I can prove that Iran’s decision was unwise,” he said, claiming that his building techniques would be best for Iran, Turkey and other countries located in dangerous seismic zones.

All the building materials - mud being the basic - required for the house he designed are indigenously produced and could be put together simply. That makes the construction cost of the mud house very low, he said.


MORE

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Liveblogging the Dance of the Davids : The American Idol Finale

I agree with Jeffrey Feldman. Enough with the war metaphors.
So tonight, there is no battle. There is a dance. Davids like to dance.
Davids dance with all their might.

The duet of the Davids was the first good thing of the night. The first piece really made you think that someone was torturing the contestants into banal atavistic conformity.

Seal did a duet with the lovely lady I had banked on to win. Hot.
Hotter than the Davids, frankly, but what the heck. They will all make in excess of one hundred dollars.

Jason Castro did a lovely version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelluia, or however you spell it. His best ever.

More banal conformity. Less pipes and timbrils. Less wild ecstasy.
...and Donna Summers, who sees, nay, looks, fantastic!
What brand of oatmeal is SHE eating? She spares the segment from dying a cruel death.
I don't approve of some of the dancing. No place for toilet humor.
Oh well, now Donna is leading the caravanserai down into the pit of forgotten disco.
Where is Radiohead when you need him? Does George know no mercy?

I don't believe this. A commercial!! Were we forewarned? No!!!

Australia's Michael Johns and Ireland's Carly Smithson are doing "The Letter". Not exactly Gorecki's Third, but not bad either. Certainly not evil...although at one point it looked like they were looking upon one another's genital regions, or therabouts. Playbacks will tell.

Jimmy Kimmel jokes about tipping Sanjaya, who is laughing in the audience, then rips into Simon, who is valiantly defended by host Seacrest who compares Kimmel to a Ship or cocktail lounge comedian. ABC vs FOX.

Ryan, I mean Bryan Adams then appears out of nowhere, thinking he has been everywhere.

So far, it is very, very, very, very, very, day before the day before yestermillennium. Cut to ape man.

The Davids are thinking: "Get me the Hell outta here!" and "Here, you can have it!"

Jordin Sparks in Disney World.

David Cook does "Sharp Dressed Man" with ZZ Top. Talk about facial, hair!
These fellers have been growing since they were born practically, and were never told that it was quality, not quantity...although the Supreme Court is likely to reverse that decision.

Wow! Graham Nash and Brooke White singing "Teach your Children".
Not a dry ice in the how.

Times passes.

I'll tell ya what. If something interesting happens, I will rouse and write.
hell, it's free.
Can't believe we're only halfway through...

Well lucky me! What a moving and timely performance by George Michael...who really does know how to pick 'em. Sorry to say I don't know the name of it, but I do know that it will take on a life of its own, and become a major hit, if it isn't already.



Paula was in tears, as were a goodly number of other bipeds in the vicinity. Hundreds!

OK...results...

David...COOK!

Yay! Justice is served.

"John the Maverick" or "Out to Pasture"

Friday, May 16, 2008

"I stand before you today...to declare...that this soldier will not be deploying to Iraq,"

"I stand before you today with the strength and clarity and resolve to declare to the military, my government and the world that this soldier will not be deploying to Iraq...I cannot deploy to Iraq, carry a weapon and not be part of the problem," - Matthis Chiroux

Former army sergeant Kristofer Goldsmith told a half-dozen US lawmakers and scores of people who packed into a small hearing room of "lawless murders, looting and the abuse of countless Iraqis."

He spoke of the psychologically fragile men and women who return from Iraq, to find little help or treatment offered from official circles.

Some 300,000 of the 1.6 million US soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from the psychological traumas of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or both, an independent study showed last month.

Officials take "hard facts and slice them into small pieces to make them presentable to the secretary of state or the president -- and all with the intent of furthering the occupation of Iraq," Goldsmith added.

[excerpted from HERE]

Monday, April 28, 2008

Friday, April 25, 2008

United Airlines and FedEx Donate Plane to Create a New Flying Eye Hospital


Orbis International is bringing sight to the world

CHICAGO -- ORBIS International, a nonprofit development organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide, today announced it will replace its current DC-10 Flying Eye Hospital with a DC-10 Series 30 freighter. United Airlines , with the support of FedEx Corp. , is donating the airplane to ORBIS. The $2 million donation is based on the plane's estimated value and being funded equally by United and FedEx.

"Through the extraordinary generosity of United and FedEx, millions of people who would otherwise go blind or remain blind for lack of proper eye care will reap the rewards of advanced ophthalmic training," said ORBIS Executive Director Geoffrey Holland. "The new aircraft will allow ORBIS to continue its mobile sight-saving training for 20 years. This is a truly wonderful gift to the world."

READ MORE

Thursday, April 24, 2008

River Cooters of Carolina


a river cooter basks on a log

For what it's worth: Who will win American Idol?


Syesha Mercado

Syesha Mercado will win. Best all 'round. Sexiest.
David Cook will come in second. Most original, intellectual and hard working.
David Archuleto, third. A slightly lesser David Cook.
Brooke White might be fourth, although I think she should have already been kicked off. I suspect she has a strong fan base who vote early and often. It is, after all, only Fox.
Jason Castro will probably be next to go, although it ought to be Brooke, who has issues.
Syesha and David Cook are a cut above the rest.

Now...back to important things.