So it ends. The worst year I have ever known, yet in many ways it was also the best of times. For it has put our spirits to the test, as it ushered in a wave of compassion, and new way of thinking. And that is something all of the good life and its complacency could never do.
I am grateful to have been adopted by many new fiends this year. The gift of friendship is indeed worthy of the price, as I view having a multitude of friends to love, as the heaviest of all burdens. Yet it is also a great honor, and a privilege for one to be a servant to so many extraordinary people. And to think! Back when the Internet was only my little toy, a new age was started for me, by just one smart ass woman, and in her kindness, she forever changed the life of this one smart ass man. ; )
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Your thought advocates Judaism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. In my thought there is only one universal religion, whose varied paths are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being. In your thought there are the rich, the poor, and the beggared. My thought holds that there are no riches but... life; that we are all beggars, and no benefactor exists save life herself.
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth. I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Home at Last
A merry Christmas and a happy Yule to everyone! I am back from my cousin's funeral just in time. All is well with me, you are all my dear friends, but there is not a need for you to feel sad or be condolent. I just did not want to tell anyone, and spoil the mood. The worst is now over, and I am happy to be alive. This should be and is a time of great joy and happiness. I hope Santa was very good to you. I will add more later, but now it is time for me to start cooking.
May peace and love be with you always! : )
Your thought advocates Judaism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. In my thought there is only one universal religion, whose varied paths are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being. In your thought there are the rich, the poor, and the beggared. My thought holds that there are no riches but... life; that we are all beggars, and no benefactor exists save life herself.
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth. I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
May peace and love be with you always! : )
Your thought advocates Judaism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. In my thought there is only one universal religion, whose varied paths are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being. In your thought there are the rich, the poor, and the beggared. My thought holds that there are no riches but... life; that we are all beggars, and no benefactor exists save life herself.
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth. I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
Monday, December 14, 2009
Celebration!
Folk worldwide observe many seasonal days of celebration during the month of December. Most are religious holy days, and are linked in some way to the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. On that day, due to the earth's tilt on its axis, the daytime hours are at a minimum in the Northern hemisphere, and night time is at a maximum. (In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in December, when the night time is at a minimum and the daytime is at a maximum.
Some people value the range of December celebrations, because it is evidence of diversity of belief within our common humanity. They respect both their own religious traditions and those of other faiths for their ability to inspire people to lead more ethical lives. Diversity is to them a positive influence, so here is a little Kool aid, to help it along.
A passage in Leviticus (18:3) which reads: “You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws.” Some scholars believe Winter Solstice violates this rule, while others do not. The issue that divides them is generally whether or not they see Winter Solstice as honoring other gods, rather than a celebration of creation, and the divine gift of life. I see no reason to shrink the Master Creator of all; down to any single religious camp. This should be a time of universal Love, we miss the boat when we fail to see that God in being both our Mother and Father, has no limitations in His, or Her love for us all.
Festival of lights, Feast of Dedication, Winter Solstice also known as Yule, Christmas, and Saturnalia, occurs in mid December. It celebrates the birth of the new Solar year and the beginning of Winter. The Creator manifests as the Great Mother to some, as well as the many other Holy Names of the Great Spirit. We also enjoy harmless myths like Santa Claus and Old Man Winter.
This is a time, and festival of inner renewal.
For it strengthen bonds with family and friends by visiting and/or exchanging gifts and greetings. Decorate your home with lights, greens, and holiday colors. Bless your home with a menorah or hang a Yule wreath on your front door and sprigs of mistletoe inside. If you are part of a group, you can take up a collection of food and/or clothing at your gathering and give to a social service agency to distribute to the needy. One can give thanks by placing seeds outside for wild birds to feast upon. Greet the Sun at dawn on Solstice morning with joy by singing praises to the Most High,or just make a joyful noise unto the Lord with bells horns or whatever. And as you do pray for greater understanding and love for all mankind, and a more peaceful planet.
Your thought advocates Judaism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. In my thought there is only one universal religion, whose varied paths are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being. In your thought there are the rich, the poor, and the beggared. My thought holds that there are no riches but... life; that we are all beggars, and no benefactor exists save life herself.
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth. I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
Some people value the range of December celebrations, because it is evidence of diversity of belief within our common humanity. They respect both their own religious traditions and those of other faiths for their ability to inspire people to lead more ethical lives. Diversity is to them a positive influence, so here is a little Kool aid, to help it along.
A passage in Leviticus (18:3) which reads: “You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws.” Some scholars believe Winter Solstice violates this rule, while others do not. The issue that divides them is generally whether or not they see Winter Solstice as honoring other gods, rather than a celebration of creation, and the divine gift of life. I see no reason to shrink the Master Creator of all; down to any single religious camp. This should be a time of universal Love, we miss the boat when we fail to see that God in being both our Mother and Father, has no limitations in His, or Her love for us all.
Festival of lights, Feast of Dedication, Winter Solstice also known as Yule, Christmas, and Saturnalia, occurs in mid December. It celebrates the birth of the new Solar year and the beginning of Winter. The Creator manifests as the Great Mother to some, as well as the many other Holy Names of the Great Spirit. We also enjoy harmless myths like Santa Claus and Old Man Winter.
This is a time, and festival of inner renewal.
For it strengthen bonds with family and friends by visiting and/or exchanging gifts and greetings. Decorate your home with lights, greens, and holiday colors. Bless your home with a menorah or hang a Yule wreath on your front door and sprigs of mistletoe inside. If you are part of a group, you can take up a collection of food and/or clothing at your gathering and give to a social service agency to distribute to the needy. One can give thanks by placing seeds outside for wild birds to feast upon. Greet the Sun at dawn on Solstice morning with joy by singing praises to the Most High,or just make a joyful noise unto the Lord with bells horns or whatever. And as you do pray for greater understanding and love for all mankind, and a more peaceful planet.
Your thought advocates Judaism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. In my thought there is only one universal religion, whose varied paths are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being. In your thought there are the rich, the poor, and the beggared. My thought holds that there are no riches but... life; that we are all beggars, and no benefactor exists save life herself.
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth. I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
Sunday, December 06, 2009
DNA Editorial
Of Mice and Men: Friday, December 4, 2009 1:06 IST
"It's been a question which has intrigued humankind since we started thinking: why do women live so long and why do they live longer than men? Evolutionary biologists have their own explanations but researchers in Japan have found a practical explanation: women have no sperm. This essential in reproduction apparently helps men have bigger bodies than women but what men gain in girth they apparently lose in longevity. The culprit is one gene which is active only in men. The research was done on mice, but in research what works for mice works for men."
"In popular culture, the long life of old crones has been variously credited to their ability to suck the life out of men, to behave like tarantula spiders and to generally develop some supernatural witch-like qualities against which poor men are hapless. Since the vast panorama of human history is littered with incontrovertible evidence of suppression of the female of the species, it can safely be assumed that collectively, men can find the idea of old, wise women threatening."
"Strangely, that coincides with the thinking that some evolutionary biologists have come up with to explain why women live so long. On the face of it, women should die soon after they reach menopause since once they cannot procreate they serve no purpose. Men can procreate till they die. But scientists feel that since women have plenty to offer society in the form of their cumulative and collective wisdom, nature keeps them going. So, like the sexless ants are vital to the wellbeing of the community, so are old women. The ancients perhaps instinctively understood this, so the importance of grandmothers' tales."
"But the Japanese research also raises a few more intriguing questions, to do with the psychology of human kind. Sigmund Freud felt that all women suffered from penis envy and wanted what they could not have. But if it is sperm which cuts down your lifespan, perhaps nature has balanced out matters pretty well -- we all want what we cannot have."
"Other geneticists have tilted the balance in favour of women claiming that the Y chromosome -- which gives men their manliness --is facing extinction and all nature is intrinsically female."
"Meanwhile medical science continues to push the envelope and women are giving birth whenever they like, people are changing genders, babies are born in laboratories and yes, men are also quite wise. Whatever the world throws at us, we have the ability to twist it to suit us. That is, perhaps, the most enduring human success story."
I would like to thank my friend Peter Dan Reyes, and the Diligent Media Corporation, for making this available for me to re-post.
"Diligent Media Corporation, which owns DNA (Daily News & Analysis), is a joint venture between two industry majors – the Dainik Bhaskar Group and Zee Group. With a reach of more than 120 countries and access to more than 250 million viewers globally, Zee TV has created a strong brand equity and is the largest media franchise serving the South Asian diaspora with presence in major global markets, including Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, the UK, the US, Canada, the Caribbean and Africa. The Group has transformed itself into an integrated media conglomerate with operations spanning the entire media spectrum."
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth. I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
"It's been a question which has intrigued humankind since we started thinking: why do women live so long and why do they live longer than men? Evolutionary biologists have their own explanations but researchers in Japan have found a practical explanation: women have no sperm. This essential in reproduction apparently helps men have bigger bodies than women but what men gain in girth they apparently lose in longevity. The culprit is one gene which is active only in men. The research was done on mice, but in research what works for mice works for men."
"In popular culture, the long life of old crones has been variously credited to their ability to suck the life out of men, to behave like tarantula spiders and to generally develop some supernatural witch-like qualities against which poor men are hapless. Since the vast panorama of human history is littered with incontrovertible evidence of suppression of the female of the species, it can safely be assumed that collectively, men can find the idea of old, wise women threatening."
"Strangely, that coincides with the thinking that some evolutionary biologists have come up with to explain why women live so long. On the face of it, women should die soon after they reach menopause since once they cannot procreate they serve no purpose. Men can procreate till they die. But scientists feel that since women have plenty to offer society in the form of their cumulative and collective wisdom, nature keeps them going. So, like the sexless ants are vital to the wellbeing of the community, so are old women. The ancients perhaps instinctively understood this, so the importance of grandmothers' tales."
"But the Japanese research also raises a few more intriguing questions, to do with the psychology of human kind. Sigmund Freud felt that all women suffered from penis envy and wanted what they could not have. But if it is sperm which cuts down your lifespan, perhaps nature has balanced out matters pretty well -- we all want what we cannot have."
"Other geneticists have tilted the balance in favour of women claiming that the Y chromosome -- which gives men their manliness --is facing extinction and all nature is intrinsically female."
"Meanwhile medical science continues to push the envelope and women are giving birth whenever they like, people are changing genders, babies are born in laboratories and yes, men are also quite wise. Whatever the world throws at us, we have the ability to twist it to suit us. That is, perhaps, the most enduring human success story."
I would like to thank my friend Peter Dan Reyes, and the Diligent Media Corporation, for making this available for me to re-post.
"Diligent Media Corporation, which owns DNA (Daily News & Analysis), is a joint venture between two industry majors – the Dainik Bhaskar Group and Zee Group. With a reach of more than 120 countries and access to more than 250 million viewers globally, Zee TV has created a strong brand equity and is the largest media franchise serving the South Asian diaspora with presence in major global markets, including Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, the UK, the US, Canada, the Caribbean and Africa. The Group has transformed itself into an integrated media conglomerate with operations spanning the entire media spectrum."
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth. I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
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