Hidden in the Heartstrings

“Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand.”

"A: thankful much? 

B: ....why yes...yes i am.... 

A: fall in love much?

B: ....why yes....yes i do...but i don't fall in love with people...

A: ummmm.....then who do you fall in love with?!?

B: ....I fall in love with souls...."

~Ait Vrai

FACT: Chuck Norris doesn't cheat death. He wins fair and square.

This one is my favorite Chuck Norris meme by far...

But there are some other close favorites:

And last but not least... the runner up for favorite Chuck Norris meme goes to:

For more Chuck Norris facts feel free to click here.

This post was 

The Risks of Peace

posted by SUSAN CORSO at Ode Magazine on 8/ 8/2007 5:11 pm

Creating peace on this planet requires risk. Did you already know that? It surprises me that so many of us think we know what peace is. I’m not sure we do. I’ve been working with peace as a spiritual priority in my life for more than fifteen years, and I’m not sure I know what peace is.

On the other hand, I definitely know what a chocolate chip cookie is, and I also know how to create one. Peace isn’t the same thing as that. There is no recipe, and its form morphs as soon as we think we have it pinned down. Peace is the biggest umbrella idea I know other than God. God, bless Her, as a word, puts off enough people that I’m sticking with Peace in this entry.

So let me ask some rough-and-tumble questions in no particular order:

What is an economics of peace?
What is a family of peace?
What is a government of peace?
What is a church of peace
What is a war of peace?
What is a zoo of peace?
What is a classroom of peace?
What is a stock market of peace?
What is a surrender of peace?
What is a chocolate chip cookie of peace?

I don’t personally know the answers to these questions, but I know that if I’m asking the questions, then the answers exist in me somewhere, or else I wouldn’t be asking them.

I am a fan of that wondrous poet Rainer Maria Rilke. In his Letters to a Young Poet, written in 1903, he writes:

“...have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”

Are you willing to take the risks needed to created peace on our lovely blue and green marble Earth? Live the questions now. The more of us who do so, who say yes to the questions, who risk living the questions, the sooner we will create peace on earth.

Dear Friend...

"Balance is not letting anyone love you less than you love yourself." ~Felipe (Eat, Pray, Love)

Kinda makes you think...

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval."
- Mark Twain

"Nothing is a greater impediment to being on good terms with others than being ill at ease with yourself."
- Honore De Balzac

"There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will treat others
with respect, kindness, and generosity. People who do
not experience self-love have little or no
capacity to love others."
- Nathaniel Branden

"One must have the adventurous daring to accept
oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake
the most interesting game in the world, making
the most of one's best."
- Harry Emerson Fosdick

"When you're a beautiful person on the inside, there is nothing in the world that can change that about you. Jealousy is the result of one's lack of self-confidence, self-worth, and self-acceptance. The Lesson: If you can't accept yourself, then certainly no one else will."
- Sasha Azevedo

"Acceptance of one's life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices."
- Dr. Paul Tournier

"It is rewarding to find someone you like, but it is essential to like yourself. It is quickening to recognize that someone is a good and decent human being, but it is indispensable to view yourself as acceptable. It is a delight to discover people who are worthy of respect and admiration and love, but it is vital to believe yourself deserving of these things."
- Jo Coudert

"Self-acceptance comes from meeting life's challenges vigorously. Don't numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory."
- J. Donald Walters

Generosity is another quality which, like patience, letting go, non-judging, and trust, provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice. You might experiment with using the cultivation of generosity as a vehicle for deep self-observation and inquiry as well as an exercise in giving. A good place to start is with yourself. See if you can give yourself gifts that may be true blessings, such as self-acceptance, or some time each day with no purpose. Practice feeling deserving enough to accept these gifts without obligation-to simply receive from yourself, and from the universe."
- Jon Kabat Zinn

"Where you are and what you are right now has to be made right, even if you don’t like it that much. Nevertheless, it is you. By criticizing and negating the current circumstances, what you are saying is that you are not okay. What is around you is only an extension of who you are. Look at those things and realize that they are what they are, imperfect though they may be. By accepting the truth, you propel yourself into better circumstances. By resisting, you live in the constant negativity of your own dissatisfaction."
- Stuart Wilde

For more of these awesome quotes: click here

The Cost of Giving (It) Up

Sex Is Cheap

Why young men have the upper hand in bed, even when they're failing in life.

By Mark RegnerusPosted Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, at 12:23 PM ET


We keep hearing that young men are failing to adapt to contemporary life. Their financial prospects are impaired—earnings for 25- to 34-year-old men have fallen by 20 percent since 1971. Their college enrollment numbers trail women's: Only 43 percent of American undergraduates today are men. Last year, women made up the majority of the work force for the first time. And yet there is one area in which men are very much in charge: premarital heterosexual relationships.

When attractive women will still bed you, life for young men, even those who are floundering, just isn't so bad. This isn't to say that all men direct the course of their relationships. Plenty don't. But what many young men wish for—access to sex without too many complications or commitments—carries the day. If women were more fully in charge of how their relationships transpired, we'd be seeing, on average, more impressive wooing efforts, longer relationships, fewer premarital sexual partners, shorter cohabitations, and more marrying going on. Instead, according to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (which collects data well into adulthood), none of these things is occurring. Not one. The terms of contemporary sexual relationships favor men and what they want in relationships, not just despite the fact that what they have to offer has diminished, but in part because of it. And it's all thanks to supply and demand.

To better understand what's going on, it's worth a crash course in "sexual economics," an approach best articulated by social psychologists Roy Baumeister and Kathleen Vohs. As Baumeister, Vohs, and others have repeatedly shown, on average, men want sex more than women do. Call it sexist, call it whatever you want—the evidence shows it's true. Inone frequently cited study, attractive young researchers separately approached opposite-sex strangers on Florida State University's campus and proposed casual sex. Three-quarters of the men were game, but not one woman said yes. I know: Women love sex too. But research like this consistently demonstrates that men have a greater and far less discriminating appetite for it. As Baumeister and Vohs note, sex in consensual relationships therefore commences only when women decide it does.

And yet despite the fact that women are holding the sexual purse strings, they aren't asking for much in return these days—the market "price" of sex is currently very low. There are several likely reasons for this. One is the spread of pornography: Since high-speed digital porn gives men additional sexual options—more supply for his elevated demand—it takes some measure of price control away from women. The Pill lowered the cost as well. There are also, quite simply, fewer social constraints on sexual relationships than there once were. As a result, the sexual decisions of young women look more like those of men than they once did, at least when women are in their twenties. The price of sex is low, in other words, in part because its costs to women are lower than they used to be.

And yet while young men's failures in life are not penalizing them in the bedroom, their sexual success may, ironically, be hindering their drive to achieve in life. Don't forget your Freud: Civilization is built on blocked, redirected, and channeled sexual impulse, because men will work for sex.

But just as critical is the fact that a significant number of young men are faring rather badly in life, and are thus skewing the dating pool. It's not that the overall gender ratio in this country is out of whack; it's that there's a growing imbalance between the number of successful young women and successful young men. As a result, in many of the places where young people typically meet—on college campuses, in religious congregations, in cities that draw large numbers of twentysomethings—women outnumber men by significant margins. (In one Manhattan ZIP code, for example, women account for 63 percent of 22-year-olds.)

The idea that sex ratios alter sexual behavior is well-established. Analysis of demographic data from 117 countries has shown that when men outnumber women, women have the upper hand: Marriage rates rise and fewer children are born outside marriage. An oversupply of women, however, tends to lead to a more sexually permissive culture. The same holds true on college campuses. In the course of researching our book Premarital Sex in America, my co-author and I assessed the effects of campus sex ratios on women's sexual attitudes and behavior. We found that virginity is more common on those campuses where women comprise a smaller share of the student body, suggesting that they have the upper hand. By contrast, on campuses where women outnumber men, they are more negative about campus men, hold more negative views of their relationships, go on fewer dates, are less likely to have a boyfriend, and receive less commitment in exchange for sex.

To read the rest of this article: click here

World Economics explained by Cows

SOCIALISM:
You have 2 cows and you give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM:
You have 2 cows. The Government takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both, shoots one, milks the other and throws the milk away…

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM:
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the Cow dropped dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size Of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create A clever cow cartoon image called Cowkimon and market them World-Wide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You reengineer them so they live for 100 years, Eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows, but you don’t know where they are. You break for lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again And learn you have 2 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION:
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you. You charge others for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. Both are mad.

brought to you by CreationRobot

Be Happy Dammit! (^_^!)

"Happiness is not about what happens to you, but how you choose to respond to what happens. That's why it's called happiness not happenness--though it could be called hope-ness. You must always leave room for hope that all has happened for good cause." ~excerpt...

Eye Wonder....

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

“Wondering's healthy. Broadens the mind. Opens you up to all sorts of stray thoughts and possibilities.”  ~Charles de Lint

How To: Use Your Gifts Wisely

The Power & Promise of Humane Education

Inspiring young people to live humane values is among the most important work you can do to build a better world.

Unprecedented global challenges require novel approaches. Old methods of education don’t help us address pressing issues, such as environmental decline, human rights violations and cruelty to animals. Popular culture often makes things worse by glorifying celebrity, violence and greed. How can you help young people better themselves and the world?

There is a way to make real change happen.

You can help the next generation decrease suffering, oppression and destruction and create positive change for a kind, just, sustainable world.

In The Power and Promise of Humane Education, learn how to engage young people to explore social justice, environmental ethics, animal protection and more. Get the keys to unlock each young person’s potential – and your own -- to be a force for good and to help lead us to a better future:

• Reverence, respect, and responsibility for the earth and its inhabitants,inspiring the young people you touch to make better choices.

• Accurate information, so they’ll make more conscious decisions that advance the world they – and you - want to see.

• Curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking that reveal different perspectives and new solutions.

• Positive choices that provide a path for action and that engender energy and hope.

To read more about Humane Education click here.

"The Law of Two Feet: If you aren't in a place where you are learning or contributing, go somewhere where you can." -- Chuck Sandy

Bucket list item #1: To Have A Happy Holi

At some point in my lifetime I would love to spend some time in India, particularly as the Spring season is welcome with the celebration of the festival of Holi, a holiday where kids and adults, frolic and throw colored water on each other.  On the day of Holika Dahan people burn logs of wood to symbolize victory of good over evil and observe Holi Pooja.

According to the Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India (SCFI), the legend of Holi tells us:

The Legend begins...

There was once a demon king by the name of Hiranyakashyap who won over the kingdom of earth. He was so egoistic that he commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to worship his father.

Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill his son Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved him every time. Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. For, Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a boon, whereby, she could enter the fire unscathed.

Treacherously, Holika coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire. The legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her sinister desire by her life. Holika was not aware that the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.
Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Naarayana all this while, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his extreme devotion.
Thus, Holi derives its name from Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.

Holi is also celebrated as the triumph of a devotee. As the legend depicts that anybody, howsoever strong, cannot harm a true devotee. And, those who dare torture a true devotee of god shall be reduced to ashes.

Kids playing Holi. (Pic courtesy K.R.Deepak)

Images taken from WeMakeBelieveStudio

Celebration of the Legend

Even today, people enact the scene of 'Holika's burning to ashes' every year to mark the victory of good over evil.
In several states of India, specially in the north, effigies of Holika are burnt in the huge bonfires that are lit. There is even a practice of hurling cow dungs into the fire and shouting obscenities at it as if at Holika. Then everywhere one hears shouts of 'Holi-hai! Holi-hai!'.

The tradition of burning 'Holika' is religiously followed in Gujarat and Orissa also. Here, people render their gratitude to Agni, the god of fire by offering gram and stalks from the harvest with all humility.

Further, on the last day of Holi, people take a little fire from the bonfire to their homes. It is believed that by following this custom their homes will be rendered pure and their bodies will be free from disease.

At several places there is also a tradition of cleaning homes, removing all dirty articles from around the house and burning them. Disease-breeding bacteria are thereby destroyed and the sanitary condition of the locality is improved.

Slowing Down for Spring Break

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."  ~Eddie Cantor

When words just aren't enough

Dear Springtime,

Please come back soon.  

Sending all my love,

 

Monica* 

Brilliant

“Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos. Before a brilliant person begins something great, they must look foolish in the crowd.”

“Simplicity is the key to brilliance” ~Bruce Lee

“Brilliance is typically the act of an individual, but incredible stupidity can usually be traced to an organization” ~Jon Bentley

“If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.” ~W. C. Fields

[Although to be fair I should note the Disclaimer:]
“Intellectual brilliance is no guarantee against being dead wrong.”

Here's an incentive to Stay in School

How do we motivate ourselves to stay interested when our workloads stifle our creativity?

"Creativity in education is as important as literacy & we should treat it with the same status..."

Hipster Dog (aka Hipsterus Caninicus -- etym. Hyde Park)

Peek a boo: The Key to Self Discovery

Education as an alien...

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” ~Scott Adams

Sounds of Appalachia with Silas House

"A writer of startling abilities." ~The Atlanta Journal Constitution

For more on Silas House's efforts as an environmental activist for the Appalachian region, Check out House's Op-Ed piece "My polluted Kentucky home" with the New York Times.

Reinvent

Proverb #1

A match made in heaven...

Now that's one hell of a penpal!

It's good to see that our troops are beginning to be a little more thorough...

This gives me a lot to reconsider

Soooo, based upon that circumstance, when people say that God doesn't like Gay marriage, how do I know they're not just putting words into God's mouth?

...and in all honesty, this also makes me want to really consider some of the other arguments....

Bear with me here...

SMH #2: And a Half Men

image source: IFSW

At least 5,000 people a month die in the ongoing genocide in the Sudan. 6,430 Palestinian people have been killed in the conflict in the Middle East since the year 2000. Even here in Chicago's South Side there is a daily tragedy. Now, I ask you, WHO CARES about Charlie Sheen???

True Beauty is In the Eye of the Beholder...

“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it”

Confucius

We Have a Contender: Cutest Puppy Photo Ever

Due to the overwhelming response for the cutest puppy photo ever, it never occurred to me that there could be any contenders for the title of Cutest Puppy Photo Ever (as evidenced by the name of the title). But after a brief review of this submission we've decided to award the title of 1st runner up to this photo... under the condition that the gratuitous use of baby within the photograph doesn't really make it the cutest puppy photo, but might very well qualify the submission to be one of the cutest "baby with puppy" photographs we've seen. Either way, if you have a puppy photo that you think is better, or can top the cuteness of any of our previous photograph selections we'd be more than happy to repost your submission. = )

Because Love is Meant to be Shared

"A warm smile is testimony of a generous nature..." ~Magic Fortune Cookie

Today I am wearing the smile that you left me with.  (^_^")

It's Official: the Cutest Puppy Photo EVER!!!

Photo Credit goes to Jessica Davis

What better way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day than with this photographic masterpiece by Jessica Davis. This goes out to all of the incredibly talented and brilliant women I know out there. May this photo always brighten your hardest and most difficult days --and if there's room for it, why not; let's add your best and brightest as well. = )

Oh SNAP!

Haha, This is some really crazy stuff; Ya dig?

I don't think breakfast is ever gonna be the same for me again.

Party like a Panda

Because birthday's shouldn't be the only excuse to party hard.

Rediscovering Your Inner Child through Play

Stumbled across this today.  It's pretty flipping fantastic.  Enjoy!  = )

The Google Books version can be found here.

Also recommended:

Here's a link for the GoogleBooks result.

Here's a link for the GoogleBooks result or if you prefer the author's website.

Say Cheese...

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Being alive does not constitute living.

People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself.  But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.  ~Thomas Szasz, "Personal Conduct," The Second Sin, 1973

WHAT IS LIFE?

Life is an Adventure ... Dare it. Life is a Beauty ... Praise it. Life is a Challenge ... Meet it. Life is a Duty ... Perform it. Life is a Love ... Enjoy it. Life is a Tragedy ... Face it. Life is a Struggle ... Fight it. Life is a Promise ... Fulfill it. Life is a Game ... Play it. Life is a Gift ... Accept it. Life is a Journey ... Complete it. Life is a Mystery ... Unfold it. Life is a Goal ... Achieve it. Life is an Opportunity ... Take it. Life is a Puzzle ... Solve it. Life is a Song ... Sing it. Life is a Sorrow ... Overcome it. Life is a Spirit ... Realize it.   (Anon)

~Title quote taken from A. Tolliver